AN: I'd like to thank my friend Corrode for her assistance as as editor with this chapter. I hope you all enjoy this. Remember reviews are always welcome.
Dean had just finished changing the spark plugs on the impala when his dad came tearing out of the house.
"Dean I need you and Sam to stay with Bobby tonight. I need to gather more intel on the thing we saw." John removed Sam and Dean's bags from the trunk of the car, setting them down in the dust of the driveway; he turned and stared hard at his eldest.
"I'll be back tomorrow."
"Are you sure you want to go alone? I could help." Dean supplied eagerly. He hated being left behind to baby sit Sammy. He was getting older now and he wanted to be there to back his dad up; especially if something hairy was about to go down.
"Dean." John's voice was a warning. Dean knew that tone meant arguing wouldn't get him anywhere.
"Sorry sir." Dean replied with eyes downcast. He wished his dad trusted him more; it was so hard to sit here doing nothing, when he knew he could help. Dean scuffed his feet in the dust trying not to look petulant. The importance of watching over his brother had been ingrained into him for so and he did love the little doofus, no matter how many times Sammy got on his nerves. But he craved the acknowledgment of his father also, and every time he thought he'd gained a foothold, he was left behind again.
John felt a moment's sympathy for the boy and offered. "Since Bobby will be here to look after Sam why don't you head to town and blow off some steam."
"OK dad." Dean replied with what he hoped was a sincere smile. But there was something much more interesting at Bobby's, and Dean's gut told him the answer lay with the girl. It was after questioning her that his dad was ready to race off and Dean intended to see what it was she had said.
The impala rocketed out of the yard in a spray of gravel, chrome glinting in the late afternoon sun, man Dean loved that car. Dean cleaned his hands and headed to the kitchen. He stepped quietly closer, listening for sounds of Abby's presence, wondering exactly what he could say to get her to tell him anything. He was new to the whole women /man thing and still slightly unsure, but with Sam's awkward advances you'd never guess Dean had any doubts at all. Dean stopped just inside the doorway the shafts of light glinted off the highlights in Abby's hair, her shoulders and neck curved in, she looked so small. When it became obvious that she was crying, with her head buried in her hands, all his thoughts of interrogation fled. She looked up at Dean as he entered the room, hastily wiping her eyes and pulling her hair back into a pony tail.
"You OK?" Dean asked, carefully taking the seat opposite Abby.
"Been better." She smiled weakly.
"Dad did a number on you didn't he?" Dean questioned, hip propped on the table in imitation of a stance he'd seen his father take many times, trying to look unperturbed. He knew his dad could be harsh and would use whatever means necessary to get the info he needed. But she had obviously been pushed too far, now wasn't the time to assert control.
"Yeah I guess he did." Abby sighed.
"I'm sorry he was rough on you. He's a bit…." Dean paused searching for the right word.
"Passionate" Abby supplied, fully intending the double meaning. John Winchester could defiantly be passionate, letting him kiss her had been a mistake. From now on she would have to keep her guard up around the man.
"Yeah, that's it. But he's really one of the good guys. He does all this to save people." Dean explained. She could see all the love and special regard shinning from Dean's eyes as he tried to explain, he really loved his dad and thought he was doing the right thing.
Abby smiled. The boy obviously worshiped his father, they seemed like a tight family, she suddenly felt a little homesick herself. She was about to say something else when the timer on the oven went off.
"It looks like the lasagna is done. Would you help me set the table while it cools?" Abby asked while heading to the oven. "I didn't move anything around in here just cleaned."
Dean found the cutlery and placemats in the usual places and set to work. He and Abby moved silently around the kitchen setting up for supper. It was strange for Dean they had that easy give and take with no awkward moments, no missteps that led to dropped dishes or spilt food. It was as if they had been doing this little kitchen dance for years. It was somewhat bemusing for him, to find comfort in such a mundane task, and strange the way she made him feel, as if everything would always be okay. Was that what it felt like to be around a woman, to share in the common things like dinners, and laundry? In fact he'd become so lost in his feelings that he was surprised to see Abby was still upset. He may have been young but the man in Dean instinctually knew what to do. Pulling her into his arms he was surprised at how much he wanted to comfort her as just her presence had been doing for him.
Abby was more than a little shocked to find herself in the arms of a second Winchester man in the space of less than an hour but this was different. Like his father Dean radiated strength but the need that defined John wasn't there. Dean offered comfort. He was the protector and the peacemaker. Abby leaned her head on his chest and took the support that was offered.
As Dean held Abby he felt the aches and pains of the past couple of days fade. But another part of him was awakened by her closeness, something that wasn't about the need to protect her. A rush in his veins sent desire to areas he knew all too well. How could he want to shelter her so badly while at the same time imagining pushing her body against the newly set table, and taking what he craved. He was trying so hard to ignore the way his body was feeling that he completely missed Bobby's approaching footsteps. The curve of her breasts pressed against his chest, the feel of her hand on the back of his neck, and the way they fit together so well. The sweet smell of her like the air after it rained.
Bobby surveyed the scene in the kitchen. Standing in the middle of his kitchen wrapped in an embrace were his God-daughter and a boy who felt like his own son. And they stood a little too intimately for his liking. Hell, he'd known them both since they were small, in Abby's case almost her whole life. He cleared his throat, fixedly staring at the boy and hoping he didn't look too frightful. Dean jumped and his face turned a bright shade of red, just the idea that he'd been able walk up without notice made it obvious how absorbed in Abigail Dean had been. Bobby took in the red eyes and tear streaked face but he also noticed something that Dean, in his youth and inexperience had missed, Abby had been well kissed none to long ago. He wondered if he was going to have to have a talk with that boy. Comforting a gal was one thing but kissing the stuffing out of her when she was obviously in a vulnerable state was quite another.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Bobby asked in a tone that was half warning and half amused.
"Not at all, dinner's ready." She replied nonplussed. "Dean why don't you get Sam and Bobby go get washed up I'm not washing greasy hand prints off the glasses again."
Supper turned out to be an interesting affair. Sam swooped in to sit next to Abby leaving Dean to sit at the far end opposite to Bobby. Dean had a hard time looking Bobby in the eye and Sam had a hard time not staring at Abby. Over dinner Sam tried to impress Abby with tales of his feats of daring while Dean poked fun and told stories of Sam's less than graceful exploits. Abby laughed and Dean got kicked under the table. Then to make matters more embarrassing for the boys Bobby told tales about both of them.
"Not fair" Dean protested after a particularly funny tale about Dean trying to drive when he was 11. "How come we're not getting stories about Abby?"
"He knows better. I cook the meals remember? He likes not having burnt eggs and toast for breakfast so he'll keep the stories to himself." Abby said while pointing her fork at Bobby.
"I can cook my own breakfast girl." Bobby growled
"We know you can but do you really want to?" Sam asked.
"Hey whose side are you on? Don't you want to hear embarrassing stories about Abby?" Dean leaned in raising a brow. Sam seemed to get the hint.
"Yes, of course, I just didn't think girls did embarrassing things,'' the funny part about this statement was the blush that followed, revealing just how sincere Sam was being, Dean rolled his eyes.
"They're not aliens Sammy, '' Dean replied earning him a deeper blush from Sam. Dean gave himself a mental high-five his brother was just too easy sometimes. He turned toward Abby and she shook her head at his antics, it made him feel like a child, so Dean's triumph was short lived until she announced, perhaps to cool the tension.
"Alright I surrender I know what you're going to tell them anyway." Abby held up her hands and left the table to get dessert.
"Well now it's no fun." Bobby complained and then proceeded to tell them, when both boys insisted, anyway. "When Abby was about five she developed a dislike for clothes. Her mother couldn't keep her dressed at all. So she gave up trying, it was summer and the yard was fenced so no one would see. Well on one hot afternoon Abby fell asleep on the grass and got sunburn on her…."
"Her what!?" Both boys asked.
"My butt." Abby supplied red-faced returning to the table with a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream.
"Needless to say it cured the no clothes faze." Bobby finished.
"You're one to talk about no clothes. Mom still has the picture of when you hung a moon at her when we were swimming."
"Ahhhh, mental picture" Sam cried as he clamped his hands over his eyes.
"Maybe I should tell them about the time dad got you drunk." Abby threatened.
"You wouldn't."
"Or about the still you and dad had behind the shed or about the squid or…"
"Enough!" Bobby yelled clamping a hand over her mouth.
Abby laughed and spooned strawberries into a bowl adding a thick dollop of whipped cream before handing it to Bobby. Abby filled bowls for Sam, Dean and herself before settling down to eat.
"I honestly can't remember the last time I had such a good meal." Sam offered wholeheartedly as he finished his second helping of strawberries, he looked at Abby doing that puppy dog thing with his eyes Dean wished he would hurry up and grow out of, it'd been getting Sammy his way entirely too often. Even Dean had been suckered by it a few times throughout the years, and it always got Sammy results.
"Yeah Abby that was awesome." Dean seconded, trying to outdo Sam with one of his most dazzling smiles.
Abby smiled warmly at Dean and rested her hand on Sam's shoulder for a moment. "Thanks. Now, who wants to help me clean up?"
"I'll do it" Sam answered before Abby even finished speaking.
Bobby smothered a laugh and Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's less than subtle attempt at being alone with Abby, he knew how much Sammy hated doing the dishes, he must really have it bad for this chick. Not that Dean could blame him.
"Actually Abby since you cooked I think both boys should clean up. I need your help with something." Bobby said taking the plates she had collected and handing them to Dean.
"Well who can argue with logic like that? Have fun boys" Abby sang over her shoulder as she left the room with Bobby, it was hard not to laugh at the boys twin expressions of horror as she exited.