Chapter 4

Dean followed Aurora's direction and twenty minutes later they were pulling down a long driveway to her aunt's house. Dean saw cars parked in a field off to the left of the house and started to pull in.

"Wait, go on up to the house. Auntie will have a place up front for us." she instructed.

"I thought ya said this was a small party?" Dean questioned when he saw the number of people milling around in the large yard near the house. He parked the Impala behind a SUV.

"It is, this is only a few members of the family." she said getting out and looking around. "Come on lets find Auntie and get this show on the road."

Dean and Sam got out of their car and followed Aurora toward a tent set up for cooking. They saw folding tables and chairs beside the tent and row of tables under the tent that was laden with food of all kinds. The breath caught in Dean's throat when he saw the table of desserts, over half were pies of all kinds.

"I think I've died and gone to Heaven Sammy." Dean grinned. Sam rolled his eyes as he tried to find Aurora in the bustle under the tent.

"Come on, there's Aurora and her aunt." he said pulling Dean away from the dessert table.

"Boys, so good you could come." Asteria greeted each brother with hugs.

"Thanks for the invitation." Sam answered for both of them.

"Now that the birthday girl is here, we'll get things started." she said picking up a bell and ringing it to get everyone's attention. "Hello and welcome, I'm so glad everyone could come out and help me celebrate Aurora's eighteenth birthday. I'm sure most of you don't know the two gentleman to my right, I'd like you to meet Aurora's brothers, Sam and Dean. Please make them welcome and give us five minutes to get everything on the tables, and we will eat. You can make two lines on either side of the tables. Aurora, you and your brothers can start us off."

"No, that's ok…" Dean tried to protest being singled out.

"Suck it up, what Auntie says goes." Aurora whispered to him and pushed him to the head of the table to start the line.

"Shall we give thanks." Asteria called as family members gathered round and bowed their heads. "Thank you Lord for giving us a glorious day to celebrate the birth of my niece and for the family who has joined us to help make this day special. Bless us all and keep us safe. Amen."

"Amen." was echoed through out the crowd.

"Go ahead sweetie, your seat is at the end of the table there where to balloons are."

"Here." Aurora said handing both the brothers plates and silverware. "Don't be bashful, there's plenty." she told them taking a plate and starting down the line. Dean and Sam were amazed at all the food. They had a choice of barbecued chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, numerous salads, baked beans, corn on the cob, cold slaw, green beans, mac and cheese, fresh fruit bowl, rolls and buns, and every kind of dessert from cakes, cheese cakes, pies to trifles, and there was even home-made ice cream.

Aurora and the boys filled their plates and took a seat at the end of the table. Everyone came by to wish Aurora happy birthday and to welcome the brothers, curious to meet them. Dean and Sam were not used to so much attention and felt slightly uncomfortable.

Aurora sensed their feelings and said. "Hey, they're family, relax and enjoy all this good food." she whispered loud enough for them to hear.

"I can see cooking must run in your family." Dean commented forking more food into his mouth.

"That's for sure, some have won ribbons at the fair for their creations."

"Oh my gosh, this mac and cheese melts in your mouth." Sam moaned in delight.

"That's Aunt Izzy's secret recipe, she always brings it."

"So who makes the best pie?" Dean asked trying to figure out how to sample each one.

"Gosh, hard to say depends on if you like fruit or chocolate, now Aunt Helen can throw a cheese cake together like nothing else and you have cobblers, Uncle Earl makes a sweet potato cake with a cream cheese frosting to die for, oh my, I feel like I've gained ten pounds just talking about it." she giggled. "You'll just have to have a sample plate."

"I won't have to eat for a week after this spread." Dean surmised.

"So how many brothers and sisters did your mom have?" Sam asked nodding to someone else who said hello.

"There were six of them, four brothers and two sisters. All my uncles are married and have kids and some of those kids have kids."

"Wow! Can't image having that many relatives."

"I don't get to see most of them very often. Most are in the valley, but some have spread out into other states."

"And are any of the brothers in the family business?" he asked lowering his voice.

"Yes, all are."

Dean and Sam looked at each other and then at the ones around the table. They had never been this close to this many witches in their entire life.

"Crap." she hissed frowning slightly.

"What?" Dean asked looking at what she was staring at.

"Oh, Auntie invited some family friends." she griped. "Not my favorite people."

"Aurora, such a lovely party!" a middle-aged woman cooed to her. "It was so nice of Asteria to invite us."

"Mrs. Jessup, Mr. Jessup, so good you could come." she fake smiled.

"You remember our eldest, Trent, he's on a break from college and visiting."

"Trent." Aurora forced out.

"Oree, good to see you again." a guy a couple of years older than Aurora spoke to her. He had a glint of darkness flash through his eyes as he looked at her. This didn't get by Dean or Sam as they eyed the guy.

"Introduce us to your brothers." Mrs. Jessup purred.

"Sam, Dean this is Mr. and Mrs. Jessup, friends of the family and one of their sons, Trent."

"Nice to meet you." Sam said shaking hands.

"Hello." Dean said nodding to them.

"You have a wonderful birthday dear." Mrs. Jessup concluded heading down the table to find a seat. Her husband and son followed, Trent turned to give Aurora another steely look before following his parents.

"What's his story?" Dean asked directly.

"Trent thought he was my boy friend before he went off to college, I kept telling him I wasn't interested. He doesn't take rejection that well."

"You stay away from him." Sam concluded. "He's trouble."

"Don't I know it." she said under her breath.

The boys hadn't had food like this in for ever. Dean made a bee line for the dessert table eyeing each baked good carefully. Several of the women pointed out their dessert urging Dean to try them. Dean made his way back to his seat with a plate full of desserts. Sam took one look and rolled his eyes at Dean.

"Having a little dessert Dean." Sam asked sarcastically.

"Hey, everyone wanted me to try their dessert, I couldn't hurt their feelings." he complained taking a bite of pie and hummed as it melted in his mouth. "This is the best." he mouthed.

"Dean! Manners!" Sam hissed trying to kick him under the table and got Aurora instead.

"Not Dean." she growled at Sam giving him a jab in the arm as she went pass. He grunted and rubbed his arm.

"Packs a punch, don't she." Dean snickered taking a bite of cake. "Dude, ya gotta try this." Dean insisted holding up his fork with a bite of cake on it in front of Sam's face.

"I can get my own." Sam gripped and went over to the dessert table checking out each dessert. He picked a couple of things that didn't look quiet as sugary and made his way back to his seat. Aurora came back with cheese cake and apple pie.

"Either of you need more drink?" she asked before sitting down.

"Naw I'm good."

"No thanks Oree."

"Be right back." she said heading for the table with the drinks.

"Man, I can't eat another bite." Dean moaned sitting back and rubbing his stomach.

"You brought it on yourself." Sam assured him. "So, I don't want to hear it."

"Bite me."

"So Auntie said she was fixing us plates for tomorrow, go mingle, I'm going to help out." Aurora told the guys as she disappeared out of the tent.

"Mingle? With who?" Dean asked quietly looking around uncomfortably.

"Is that your ride?" a guy asked Dean as he looked over at the Impala.

"It is." he smiled looking toward his car.

"Do you do your own work on it?"

"Yeah, rebuilt her couple of times." he said walking with a couple of guys toward the car to show it off.

Sam stood there until some women came up to him asking questions.

"So are you or your brother married?" one asked.

"No, we're both single." he said politely.

"Girlfriend?"

"No, not at present."

"I need to introduce you to my daughter, she's in her second year of college." the woman said looping her arm in his.

"My daughter would love to meet your brother." another mother offered.

"How 'bout Hayden, she's not seeing anyone right now." added the third mother.

"That's ok, I'm not really interested…" he tried to get out as they pulled him across the yard. He looked around helplessly not knowing how to get away from them politely.

Aurora had just finished packing some food in a cooler to take with her when someone grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth and pulling her toward the parked cars. She struggled against the person as he drug her away from the yard.

"Sam! Ellie! Help!" she screamed in her head sending it out to her big brother and guardian.

Sam frowned and stopped stiffening as he looked over most of the people's heads, looking for the source of the call. Two figures caught his eye and he knew one was Aurora from the red shirt. Sam excused himself from the women and whistled to his brother and gave him hand signals there was a problem.

Dean heard Sam's whistle and immediately when on alert. He read his hand signals and headed toward the cars. Sam circled in from the upper side zeroing in on the guy trying to pull Aurora into a car.

"Let me go!" Aurora hissed at Trent as she tried to pull free from him.

"Come on get in." he madly insisted.

"Hey, let go of my sister." Dean growled stalking toward them.

"Stay out of this, it's none of your business."

"We're making it our business." Sam said coming up on the other side of them.

"Let me go Trent, I don't want to hurt you." she ordered trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"You hurt me?" he sneered. Aurora drew herself up and punched him in the face not pulling the punch. Blood spurted out his nose and he let her go. "You b*tch!" he screamed drawing back an arm to hit her.

Before he could complete the action Sam grabbed him and Dean drove his fist into his stomach. Trent doubled over as his breath was knocked out of him. Before any of them could react, Electra jumped over the car and was on Trent clamping her jaws around his neck.

"Ellie, don't kill." Aurora directed. "You can taste him, but not too much."

Trent whimpered afraid to move as Ellie growled deep in her chest as her teeth broke his skin enough for her to get his taste. She let go and getting in his face making sure he saw her red burning eyes, before stepping off him. Sam jerked him back up and pushed him against the car.

"I don't know who you are, but no one hurts our sister and gets away with it."

"Little Sis you ok?" Dean asked pulling her out-of-the-way.

"That beast bit me." he sputtered fingering his neck.

"Yeah." she replied. "What is wrong with you Trent? I told you the last time you were home, I had no interest in dating."

"You didn't give us a chance or do you think I'm not good enough for you."

"Watch how you talk to her."

"Oree, what's going on?" Asteria asked walking up to the four of them.

"Trent was just leaving." Aurora said crossing her arms. "He's not to be allowed back."

"What happened?" Asteria pressed.

"He tried to kidnap Aurora." Sam answered bluntly.

"That's a lie. I just wanted to talk to her."

"But I didn't want to talk to you.

"In my book that sounds like kidnapping to me." Dean informed him.

"Mr. Jessup, I'd like you to leave now." Asteria told him pointedly. "You're not welcome in this valley anymore."

"You'll regret this." he threatened.

"Listen douche bag, I'm only saying this once, ya come anywhere near our sister or this valley and your ass is mine. The thing about me and Sam, ya see, we don't have to play by the rules. With us, there are no rules." Dean said taking out his 45 and chambering a round. "We don't take prisoners."

"Go now." Aurora told him. "Just so you know, Ellie has your scent and a taste of your blood. She will not hesitate to kill you."

Trent glanced nervously at the wolf before getting in his car and speeding away. Asteria hugged Aurora close to her and began to walk back to the party. Dean and Sam stood there for a moment being sure he was gone. They headed back to the party and to check that Oree was ok. She was talking to some women saw Asteria talking intently to Trent's parents.

"Oree, you ok?" Sam asked coming up behind her.

"Yes, I'm good." she smiled leaning back against him.

"Why didn't you just use your power?"

"And put a neon sign on my back, hey I'm a witch? I didn't want to give it away, he doesn't know about that and I'd rather keep it that way."

"Sis, you wanna go home?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm not letting him ruin my birthday. We'll stay a little longer." she replied giving them both a quick hug. "Now go mingle." she encouraged pushing them toward the waiting women.

"Dean, don't leave me." Sam begged a look of total fear on his face as he saw women heading his way.

"What's wrong baby brother?" he asked looking in the direction Sam was staring trying to see the threat.

"They're trying to set me up with their daughters." he hissed.

"Suck it up and mingle." Dean laughed heading for a group of men who were looking at the Impala.

"B*tch." he muttered turning and heading for a group of men playing horseshoes.

"Jerk." Dean teased.

Thank you to all who have favored, are following and have reviewed, I like to read what you think and any suggestions.

NC