***Supernatural nor any of its characters belong to me*** THIS IS A SEQUEL TO "WITCH WINCHESTER"- Morgan Winchester's story continues as she's adjusting to being a normal girl, I hope this does justice to the first story, ALL reviews are appreciated- SIDE NOTE: Supernatural's Wiki thinks the car Sam drove in Season 12 episode The Raid was his 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 that was busted in Season 6, it was in fact a 1998-2002 Ford Mustang V6 he drove in that episode, I don't know why it's important that I share this information besides I'm a gearhead and I have to :)
Sam had been relentless about whether Morgan wanted to finish her high school diploma online or go to the high school in Lebanon, something that would take a significant amount of effort, but he continued to remind her was completely doable if that's what she wanted. Morgan hadn't made a decision. She'd never sat through an entire day of classes before, and after hearing Claire's tales of high school, wasn't sure the whole thing was something she was up for, but her curiosity for a new experience kept her from giving Sam a straight answer. Dean was all for home schooling, repeatedly brushing off the idea of her going to a regular school, causing private arguments between the brothers every time Sam overhead their older brother make a negative comment towards the idea.
"She has what?" Morgan overheard Dean asking Sam irritably in the kitchen one morning before she entered, "A year, maybe two before she's supposed to graduate? What's the point, Sam?"
"If she doesn't wanna go I'm not gonna make her," Sam insisted, "but I think it'd be good for her to be around other kids her own age, and I think the only reason she hasn't already said that's what she wants is 'cause you 'n Claire keep tellin' her awful things about school."
"Maybe Claire has," Dean began defensively.
"So, that wasn't you who said high school's like a war you have to fight your way out of?" she could hear the sarcastic smirk on Sam's face, still staying out of eyesight in the hall.
"Oh, yeah," Dean chuckled, "but Claire showed her Mean Girls."
"Yeah," Sam scoffed, "you definitely weren't involved in that at all."
"It's a funny movie," Dean snickered and looked at Morgan as she walked into the kitchen, "Mornin'."
"Mornin'," she offered both brothers a tightlipped smile while grabbing the half full pot of coffee and pouring a mug.
"Hey, Morgan," Sam started and she rolled her eyes before turning to him at the table with his laptop in front of him, "I don't wanna rush you on your decision for school, but we're kinda at the end of the line, kid. If you wanna go to school here we gotta get you enrolled soon."
"Yeah," she shrugged at Sam, taking a sip of her coffee, "I think the online thing's a better way to go."
Dean smiled at Sam who scowled at him before returning his attention to Morgan with shock, shaking his head as he spoke, "Why? You're not gonna get the same opportunities, Morgan, to be around other kids, join a sport or club-"
"I thought it was my decision," Morgan inclined her head at him.
"It is," Sam nodded, "but I don't want you to miss out on the chance to go to school because you've heard ridiculous crap from those two," he glared at Dean quickly before looking back at Morgan.
"But the online school has the same classes," she insisted, "I'll learn the same stuff."
"Academically," Sam shrugged, "they're the same basically, but going to school with other kids will give you a chance to make friends and do some things normal teenagers do."
"Yeah, 'cause normal's still in the cards," she scoffed.
"Why not?" Sam challenged.
"Cause up until the Devil killed me last month I was a witch," she smirked at Sam, catching an amused grin from Dean out of the corner of her eye, "I've thought about it Sam, 'n it just doesn't make sense. We have to use a fake address, obviously, and I know you already worked that out, but you can't honestly think that the two of you are gonna be able to take me there every day and clearly I can't take a bus since we don't live where they'd think we do, which would just cause more problems-"
"Why wouldn't we-" Sam began to argue, but Morgan shook her head.
"You guys have been gone every few days since we got home," she implored, "I'm fine, trust me, I can take care of myself, but unless y'plan on lettin' me drive one of your cars, the simple logistics of getting there and back won't work."
"Well that's not happening," Dean chuckled and Sam shot him an angry scowl.
"So, if you could get there you'd go?" Sam crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes at her with a smirk, "'Cause I'll let'cha borrow my car."
Morgan and Dean's green eyes widened at Sam whose face didn't change as he stared challengingly at his sister. Her stomach turned, realizing she was stuck if he'd come up with a solution to that problem, she'd have to admit she was nervous about going to a real school. Although the prospect of driving herself made the idea of braving the new experience less nerve wracking all of a sudden. Dean, however, finally recovered from the shock of Sam's proclamation.
"Don't'cha think that's somethin' we need t'talk about, Sammy?" the oldest asked in a low, threatening tone.
"What?" Sam shrugged, "She's sixteen, I'll take her t'get her license, 'n she can borrow my Mustang."
"The hell she can!" Dean glared indignantly at his brother, "It's a V6!"
"That means?" Morgan interjected before their debate inevitably accelerated.
"Too fast f'r'you," Dean barely turned his head as he glowered at Sam.
"Thought you said it was slower than a broken turtle," Sam responded calmly.
"When you drive yeah," the oldest mumbled and sipped his coffee.
"Morgan," Sam sighed, turning towards her, "you'll be very careful with my car if I let you use it, right?" she nodded earnestly at him, "Go the speed limit 'n not go anywhere besides school unless you okay it with us?" again she nodded at him, but Dean shook his head adamantly.
"No," he scoffed, "absolutely not, that thing has way too much power 'n I've seen your reaction to speed, kid."
"But that's when you're driving," Morgan insisted sweetly, "I'd never trust myself to go as fast as I know you can," she caught Sam's eyeroll and smirk at her well-placed praise.
"So, you really wanna go t'school?" Dean sighed with defeat.
"Is it really that bad?" she asked him with a concerned grimace.
Dean shook his head, "No, it's really not, 'n I'm sorry if I made y'nervous about it."
"S'ok," Morgan shrugged, "I mean I'm kinda nervous about it anyway. I've never really been around other kids, we prob'ly don't even have anything in common."
"Why'd y'think that?" Sam knitted his eyebrows at her.
"I don'know," she shrugged, looking at her coffee, "'cause my life isn't anything like theirs' 'n my past," Morgan trailed off, not needing to explain further to them where her thoughts were at.
"You don't need to explain y'rself to anyone," Dean stated firmly.
"I know it's just," Morgan shrugged and stopped talking again.
"I think you'd be surprised," Sam smiled, "an' if you don't like it after you give it a shot you can do the online school."
"Yeah?" Morgan brightened at the idea she could try it without committing before she really knew what to expect.
"If after a few weeks you don't wanna go back you don't have to," Sam promised.
"Okay," she nodded.
"Perfect," the younger brother clapped the oldest on the back, smiling at their sister, "tomorrow's Monday, you 'n I can head in together in the mornin'."
"Tomorrow?" Morgan felt her stomach twist again.
"What's tomorrow?" Claire entered the kitchen, grabbing a mug of coffee for herself.
"Morgan's goin' to school," Sam said proudly.
"Ugh gross," Claire groaned.
"Hey," Dean snapped quietly, "no more'a that crap."
"If I don't like it I don't hafta keep goin'," she shrugged at her friend.
"But y'r'gonna try 'n like it, right?" Sam lowered his gaze at her, grinning contently when she nodded at him, "Good, ok, well I've had a social, birth certificate 'n medical records made up, plus some docs makin' us y'r'legal guardians-"
"Both of us?" Dean questioned.
"Yeah," Sam nodded, "figured it'd be easier since I'm gonna deal with all the school stuff, don't worry," he scoffed good-naturedly at his brother, "you're listed first."
"Damn right," Dean nodded curtly and Morgan giggled as Sam shook his head.
"You're gonna need some stuff," Sam announced, standing and stretching his arms over his head, "go get dressed you 'n I can run into town."
"Cool!" Morgan smiled and finished her coffee.
"Can I go?" Claire asked eagerly.
"Y'r'report done?" Dean raised his eyebrows at her, standing and downing the last of his coffee.
"No," she rolled her eyes.
"Better get'it done," he shrugged, dumping his mug in the sink after Morgan.
"We killed a werewolf," Claire whined, "it's not exactly novel worthy."
"Good thing nobody's askin' you f'r'a novel," Sam interjected, "but you agreed to write a report on every hunt we include you in, unless you don't wanna be included?"
With an overdramatic sigh, the blonde rolled her eyes and left the kitchen with her coffee and her friend right behind her. Morgan took a quick shower and changed into a pair of jeans, her old army boots, a green flannel and tossed her blue coat on before leaving her bedroom. Claire was in the library, hunched over a table with pages of notes and newspaper articles spread around her, Sam closed a book he was reading in the armchair when Morgan entered the open room.
"Ready?" he asked, setting the red volume on the side table next to a full decanter of scotch.
"Yeah," she nodded, and waved at Claire as Sam led her towards the garage.
In the back of the line on the far side was a sleek, black, two-door Ford Mustang, Dean slammed the hood as the younger two approached and Morgan smiled at the sharp looking sports car.
"What're y'doin'?" Sam chuckled, taking the keys out of his pocket.
"Just givin' it a quick once over," Dean wiped his hands on a greasy rag and shoved it in his jeans pocket, "Doesn't get driven much, just checkin' the oil."
"Thanks," Sam smirked, "I was gonna do that."
"Well, now y'don't have to," Dean shrugged, "Have fun, grab some beer would'ja?"
Sam nodded as he got in the driver's side of the dark coupe and Morgan gave Dean a quick hug before jumping into the passenger seat. Dean pulled the large wooden double doors open and Sam flipped on the headlights as they cruised slowly into the cavernous tunnel.
"Have you figured out how to get outta here yet?" Sam asked as he took the first turn and she nodded at him, "Alright, so you're gonna need a backpack, notebooks, pens, prob'ly some gym shoes-"
"Gym shoes?" Morgan narrowed her eyes in the darkness at him.
"Yeah," Sam smiled, "they're not gonna let y'wear those boots in gym class."
"Oh," Morgan squinted as the tunnel ended and they pulled into the bright sunlight and felt the car slow to a stop.
"You're drivin'," Sam patted her knee and got out of the car, Morgan breathed out slowly to calm her immediate nerves and pushed open the passenger door.
The Mustang was much smaller than the Impala and the front seats were not connected so she could scoot forward without forcing Sam's long legs into the dashboard. Sam moved the steering wheel for her and showed her how to adjust the side view mirrors, before pointing to the dashboard and starting to explain the gauges.
"That's the speedometer," she said before he had a chance and responded to his confused expression, "Dean showed me, I drove the Impala f'r'like two minutes."
Sam nodded, "Alright, well the shifter's here on this one," pointing to the console between them, "push that button to slide it into drive, 'n let's see what'cha got."
Without waiting for further instructions, Morgan put her foot on the brake, pulled the shifter down until the red line hovered over the D on the dashboard. The accelerator was a lot more sensitive to the touch than the Impala, but Morgan was careful not to lurch the peppy sports car forward and eased it quickly up to twenty miles per hour. Sam reminded her of Dean's advice to keep her eyes on the horizon and it was far easier to see passed the shorter hood on the sports car, before she realized it, Morgan was cruising at just under the fifty miles per hour speed limit and feeling surprisingly confident. Sam didn't talk as much as Dean, very occasionally offering a quick piece of advice, but mostly he let her drive without interruption. When they neared the big box store, Sam pointed to a spot in the back, away from other cars, and instructed her to park there to Morgan's obvious horror.
"You can do it," he insisted, "it's just like turnin' in here, just get it between those lines."
With a heavy sigh, Morgan turned the Mustang slowly into the parking lot, concentrating on the lines Sam had directed her towards, but slammed on the brakes as a minivan hurried up the lane. She didn't hear the reassuring words from Sam as she shook her head from the sudden onset of nerves and with a clear path, turned into the spot, tapping the brakes a few times before stopping the car completely. Sam pinched his fingers together and pointed forward with a smile, throwing Morgan a thumbs up when she'd brought the car another foot into the spot.
"Nice job," Sam extended a fist that was promptly met with her own.
"This is way easier than the Impala," she rubbed her clammy hands on the steering wheel, turned the ignition off and extended the keys to Sam.
"Hold on to 'em," Sam shrugged, pushing open the passenger door, "you're drivin' home."
Morgan did her best to hold in a squeal as she slipped the keys into her pocket, hit the lock button on the inside of the door and joined Sam through the parking lot to the massive building.
Neither of them wanted to be there long, and found the school supplies section quickly, not that there was much of anything left to necessitate a section anymore. The school year had started almost a month before so everything had been more than picked over and the store wasn't in a hurry to replenish supplies after the demand was filled. Morgan wasn't picky, however, and saw a dark brown canvas bag under a few other backpacks with bright cartoons on them and tugged it out by a shoulder strap. Venturing down an aisle of notebooks, folders and pens, Sam told her she'd need about seven notebooks, to be on the safe side, but chuckled when she grabbed a stack of only purple ones.
"Just purple huh?" he asked, tossing a few pens in the brown backpack.
"It's my favorite color," she shrugged at him, slipping them in with the pens.
"I didn't know that," Sam smirked, but his grin faltered as he asked, "is that why your-" he interrupted himself and offered an apologetic look at his sister.
"I don't know," Morgan shrugged, it was still painful to think about her lost powers sometimes, but she didn't want Sam to feel bad for accidently bringing it up, "I never thought about it, but maybe."
"I think the shoes are this way," Sam jerked his head towards the back of the store, actively changing the topic to both their relief.
"So gym?" she inclined her head after a few hurried steps to catch up with her tallest brother.
"Yeah, it's a class where you run 'n play sports 'n stuff," Sam explained, turning down another aisle after catching sight of the shoe department sign.
"So am I still gonna have t'do PT with you guys then?" she smirked.
"Yup," Sam grinned at her good-natured scoff, Morgan didn't mind the training sessions with her brothers and Claire, except when they were really early.
She followed Sam into an aisle where again the pickings were slim and seeing only a few options in her size, none of which Morgan cared one way or the other for, he said they'd stop by a shoe store near the pancake house down the street. Sam's pronouncement was quickly answered by a loud growl from Morgan's stomach and both of them laughed.
"Me too," he nodded, "How pissed d'you think Dean'll be if he finds out we got waffles without him?"
Morgan smirked at him, holding her index finger to her pursed lips.
A few minutes later they were walking towards the Mustang at the back of the parking lot and Morgan expertly slid the key into the trunk lock how she'd seen them do on the Impala dozens of times and tossed her new backpack full of supplies into the empty trunk as Sam set a large case of beer next to it.
"Thanks again, Sam," she smiled at him, shutting the lid with a thud.
"Of course, Sweetie," he smiled, pulling her into a quick side hug, "I'm really glad you decided to give school a shot."
"I'm still nervous about it," she gave him a slanted glance over the roof as they opened the car doors.
"I'd be surprised if y'weren't," Sam shrugged with an encouraging grin before they both dropped into the low bucket seats.
He gave her a few points on reversing and then let her try to pull out of the spot, cranking the steering wheel too hard the first time as she felt the tires bump into the curb of the parking lot median. Sam smiled and told her to shrug it off, straighten out and start again, this time silently using his finger to direct her when to turn the wheel and at his subtle instruction, she smiled after finding herself in the open parking lot lane. It was a short drive to the pancake house, conveniently situated in the same parking lot as the strip mall with the shoe store, and they both agreed to eat first.
"Is it breakfast time?" Sam peered at his watch and chuckled, "Nope, not too far off though, guess we got home pretty late last night."
"Good hunt?" Morgan asked before Sam opened the glass door for her.
"Yeah," he nodded, "Claire's definitely improving. Two, please," he gestured Morgan to follow the hostess ahead of him and a moment later they sat at a window booth right where the Mustang was parked.
"Sam," Morgan began, her eyes on the dark two door coupe, "I like driving that way better than the Impala."
"Yeah," he smirked, "she can be a bit intimidating, I remember learning t'drive Dad had to sit in the back so I could scoot the seat close enough for my toes to touch the pedals, Dean's knees were in his chest," Sam laughed lightly at the memory, "of course I was thirteen, it got easier the next few years when I gained a few inches."
"Just a few," Morgan giggled and they both opened their menus smiling.
"Thanks for stoppin' in, I'm Bryan and I'll be takin' care of you," their waiter's familiar voice dragged Morgan's focus from her menu to his handsome face and both of them flushed a little before he stammered at her through a small smile, "uh, hi, how y'been?"
"Good," she nodded with a nervous grin, her insides fluttering strangely.
"You two know each other?" Sam narrowed his eyes, looking between the young man and his blushing sister.
"We've met," Morgan mumbled, trying to hide her flushed cheeks but they refused to release the silly smirk on her face.
"Are you another brother?" Bryan asked Sam, who shot a quick understanding eyebrow raise at his sister.
"Sam," he nodded at the young man, "So, you've met Dean?"
"Must'a been," Bryan chuckled sharing a look with Morgan, "Drives a beautiful Chevy, looks like he's ready to kill someone?"
"That's the one," Sam smirked.
Morgan thought how different Bryan looked in slacks and a black pull over with his hair fixed while she continued stealing glances up at him, occasionally meeting his eye causing a darkening of color in her already pink cheeks.
"Can I get you some coffee?" he asked them.
"Yeah, thanks," Sam answered, Morgan just nodded at the young man as he left the table and her brother leaned across the table with an amused expression, "So's that the crawler?"
"Sa-am," Morgan implored in a hushed tone and he leaned back chuckling softly.
Bryan returned quickly with two mugs and a thermos pitcher of coffee, asking if they were ready to order. Morgan smiled at the quick wink he shot her on his way to the kitchen when they'd finished, Sam scoffed and shook his head.
"Kid's got guts," he muttered, sipping his coffee.
"That's what Dean said," Morgan couldn't wipe the silly smile off her face and giggled when Bryan peaked out of the kitchen at her before ducking back behind the wall.
Morgan and the young waiter continued to steal glances at each other, Sam was not oblivious to the mild flirtations, but didn't say anything, keeping an amused smirk on his face and occasionally shaking his head a little.
"Thanks f'r'comin' in today," Bryan set the check in front of Sam when they'd finished.
"Thanks, kid," Sam nodded, picking the tab off the table and sliding out of the booth with a hand to stop Morgan from following, "I'm gonna go pay I'll be right back."
She definitely caught her brother's sideways grin as he stepped away, leaving her alone briefly with the handsome young man.
"So, are you home schooled?" Bryan inclined his head a little at her.
"No, we've been outta town on family stuff," Morgan repeated the perfected lie, "I'm actually supposed to start at Lebanon tomorrow."
Bryan's smile brightened, "I'm a Senior there, you'll hafta let me show y'around."
"I'd like that," she nodded with the same silly smile she couldn't shake and slid out of the seat as Sam returned to the table.
"I'll see y'tomorrow then," the young man assured her before turning to Sam, extending his hand confidently, "It was good t'meet you, sir."
Morgan saw the surprise in Sam's face, but he grinned at the younger man and shook his hand, "You too, kid."
"See you tomorrow," Morgan followed Sam out of the restaurant, turning once to look back at Bryan and seeing he was still watching her.
"So, that's the kid Dean scared the crap out of?" Sam chuckled as they crossed the parking lot to the strip mall.
"Yeah," she giggled, "he seems nice."
Sam made a noncommittal sound, "Is he in high school?"
"Senior," she nodded, walking through the door to the shoe store Sam held open.
"Yeah, we're gonna hafta figure out what grade y'r'in tomorrow," he pointed down an aisle and Morgan followed his gesture between two tall shelves of shoes, "Ok, wha'd y'like?"
She shrugged at the overwhelming number of options, "I don't know, y'r'the one that said I need 'em."
He chuckled, "Somethin' like this," he pulled a pair of dark purple sneakers with three white stripes on the sides and handed them to her, "try those on."
Morgan sat on the bench in the middle of the aisle and slipped her old army boots off, but looked up at Sam with narrow eyes when she heard him scoff loudly.
"Kid, those boots don't fit you," he exclaimed almost angrily.
"What? Yeah they do, I got tons'a room," she argued.
He shook his head and crouched next to her, picking up a worn boot, "You're not s'posed t'have a ton of room, shoes are s'posed to fit. Do your feet slide in these?"
"No, I just grip my toes," she curled her fingers in demonstration and watched her brother hang his head.
"Here," he slid a metal contraption in front of her, "put'cher foot in this."
"Why?" she questioned, but complied, and slipped a socked foot onto the cold surface.
"Cause y'r'basin' your shoe size on the size nine 'n a half boots you've been wearin', and," he examined the numbers just passed her toes, "yep, you're a seven."
"Oh," Morgan wasn't sure how seven to nine could make a huge difference, but when Sam handed her the purple shoes again in a size seven and she slipped them on, she couldn't help but smile in surprise at him.
"Better?" he asked and she nodded happily at him, "Good, those work?" she offered another happy nod in response, "Ok, let's find you some new boots."
Morgan shoved the new shoes back into the box, slipped her too big boots on and followed Sam down the aisle. She immediately spotted a pair of black, high shafted, lace up combat boots and at Sam's agreeable nod grabbed the box labeled seven and plopped down on the floor without an available bench nearby to try them on. The stiff leather boots stopped halfway up her calves over her slim cut jeans, hugging her feet comfortably and still leaving her toes enough room to wiggle.
"Those it?" Sam asked as she hopped to her feet in the new boots.
"I love them," she nodded eagerly up at him.
"Do y'wanna look at any others?" he shifted his gaze around the large shoe store, but Morgan shrugged at him and Sam chuckled, "You've gotta be the easiest girl to go shopping with ever."
At Sam's insistence, Morgan put her old boots back in the new boot's box and kept the new, fitted boots on her feet. After he paid and they walked back to the Mustang outside the pancake house, Morgan was surprised how much more confident her feet felt on the pedals when she dropped behind the steering wheel. Turning the ignition over, the engine kicked on with an eager rumble and while dropping the shifter into reverse, Morgan saw Bryan in the window as he left a table. He looked up at the sound of the idling V6 and smiled in happy surprise when they met eyes, she returned his small wave, feeling her face flush again and focused on backing the Mustang out of the spot.
"When we get home I'm gonna get you set up with some driver's ed study guides online," Sam decided, "We'll go get'cher license this week."
"Awesome," Morgan smiled at him, quickly returning her attention to the road ahead, loving the feeling of power beneath her toes that was completely at her disposal.
WATCH OUT FOR MORE CHAPTERS COMING SOON AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!