Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Summary: it's almost Halloween (and we know how Sam feels about Halloween), Sam gets sick and the Geek Squad attend a party! Enjoy!
Chapter 4
It was a week before Halloween and "Sam's Girls," as they had been dubbed by Sandy Cohen, were seated at their usual table in the quad, talking idly about a party that was happening the night of Halloween. Taylor munched absently on her sushi as she inquired, "Sam would take us, wouldn't he?"
"We're not exactly the most popular crowd on campus, Tay," Rhiannon reminded her best friend as she unpacked the lunch she had brought from home for her and Sam. Bringing him lunch was another thing she'd started to come to realize was her responsibility; if she knew he couldn't stay over that night and she didn't bring him lunch, he'd go hungry for quite possibly the rest of the day and never complain.
"Your brothers are! They're part of Harbor's Core Four! They could get us in! It'd be fun and it's a costume party so no one will even notice that we're there."
"Cause Sam is so easy to miss," Rhiannon scoffed, thinking about her approaching six foot, lean and lanky boyfriend who usually stood out in a crowd like a sore thumb.
A head lowered into her line of sight and she giggled as Sam's too-long hair tickled the soft skin of her neck as Sam brushed a quick kiss to her cheek. "My ears are burning. What about me?" he asked, straddling the bench beside her and accepting the sandwich his girlfriend offered.
"There's a Halloween party next weekend and Tay wants the three of us to crash it," Rhiannon explained, deliberately keeping her voice bland and trying not to let him see how much she wanted to go, despite how much she protested the idea to Taylor. She'd never been to a high school party in Newport and was curious despite herself. And Taylor was right; both of her brothers, Ryan and Seth, were now apart of the popular crowd – mostly because of Ryan's relationship with Marissa Cooper, his newfound friendship with Luke Ward and Seth's flirtation with and complete adoration of Summer Roberts – though it seemed that lately neither had had much time for her. She was just thankful she had Sam and Taylor or she'd be relapsing at every turn.
Sam grimaced, his head swinging reluctantly from side to side as he chewed. "I really don't do Halloween, Tay, I'm sorry." Glancing at Rhiannon, he noticed the slight slumping of her shoulders and bit his lip, rethinking his hasty answer, "But I'll think about it, okay?"
Taylor squealed, leaning over the table to hug her best friend tightly. "Thank you so much, Sam! And you, Star, should talk to your brother about getting us in the door."
"Ryan and I don't talk much lately . . . he probably won't want me there. I mean, most people balk at letting geeks join the popular crowd at a high school party. And older brothers don't usually want annoying little sisters tagging along."
"But you're his twin, so he should make an exception for you. Even if you aren't talking, he still loves you, right?"
"I guess." Rhiannon just shrugged half-heartedly, causing Sam to reach out and haul her into his lap. "Is it because of me?"
Rhiannon rushed to reassure her boyfriend of exactly the opposite. "No! Ryan's just got other friends and I don't need him like I used to. He has someone new to save."
"You mean Marissa Cooper," Sam replied, though it was not a question.
Taylor made a face. "Marissa Cooper is beyond saving, and if your brother thinks he can save her, he's just heading for a downwards spiral. And Ryan can't afford more trouble."
"Whenever I even broach the subject, he just tells me to mind my own business and let him live his life," Rhiannon confessed in a whisper, cuddling close to her boyfriend and picking delicately at her sandwich with her fingernails. "It's like Ryan doesn't even listen to me anymore, and I don't know how to get my twin brother back."
Sam watched his girlfriend brood silently, before looking up at Taylor. "All right, that settles it. We're going to that party."
"Really?"
"Yep. Ladies, pick out your costumes and I will be by to pick you up on Halloween night. We'll crash it, we don't need an invitation."
Sam hugged Rhiannon tight as she threw her arms around his neck with a murmur of, "thank you," ruffling the strands of hair by his ear. "You're welcome," he replied in kind, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, before the two girls turned talk to their big math test coming up and off of the upcoming party.
Sam walked her home that afternoon, as usual, though Rhiannon could see how tired he was. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she subtly guided him as he basically sleepwalked beside her. "You okay, Sam?"
Sam looked up at her, forcing his eyes wider in a halfhearted effort to stay awake. "Where are we?" he asked, sounding confused and a little lost.
Rhiannon pointed at the Cohen house, less than twenty feet away, and Sam sighed in relief. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me lately."
"You getting enough sleep, Sam?" she asked, as Sam let his eyes slip closed again, trusting her to get him to her parents' house. "You've been getting tired really easily."
Sam shrugged, his whole body shuddering with the movement. "I'm all right, Sadira, I promise. Gym's just been kicking my ass lately."
"You love gym," Rhiannon reminded her boyfriend as she pushed open the front door and steered him to the living room couch. Kirsten and Sandy were at some social function and, as a result, Ryan & Seth were out with Marissa and Summer; she didn't anticipate any of them home for hours at least. "It's one of those stress relieving things for you; and I've seen how competitive you are. You leave most of the other boys in the dirt when it comes to all that physical stuff."
"Physical stuff?" he teased, tilting over gratefully as she gently eased him over onto his side.
"You know what I mean, Sam. Push ups and pull-ups and sit-ups; they all mean nothing to you. I'm pretty sure you could do them in your sleep."
"I can . . . I have," he laughed tiredly, burying his head into one of Kirsten Cohen's expensive throw pillows. "I'm not exactly weak."
"No, I know that. Remember, I've seen you fight hand-to-hand with your brother. He won, but you gave him a hell of a battle."
"Part of dad's training," Sam confessed tiredly, though Rhiannon was pretty sure he was already so far out of it that he wouldn't remember this conversation when he woke again. "Gotta kill the thing that killed mom. That's all he thinks about. Being a hunter and training his sons to be hunters. It's a part of life."
Rhiannon nodded, sitting on the edge of the couch and bending to kiss her boyfriend lightly. "Go to sleep, Sammy. I'll see you when you wake up."
Rhiannon was surprised when Sam didn't offer even a token protest to the nickname, though he did protest the idea of falling asleep in the middle of the day. "We have homework."
"You can take a nap first. No one says you have to do your homework the second we walk through the door. And I think I can manage my calculus homework by myself just this once."
Sam nodded, the sudden yawn nearly taking his head off as his whole body relaxed subconsciously into the cushions. "Wake me if you need help with it, okay?"
"Okay," she whispered her fingers light in his hair and doing wonderful things to the migraine that pounded behind his eyes as Sam let her lure him deeper into unconsciousness. Finally she bent and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek as she murmured, "Sleep," into his skin. Sam needed no further coaching and dropped off without another word.
Getting up, Rhiannon moved carefully as she untied his shoes and eased them from his huge feet, before retreating to the cupboard for a warm quilt and another pillow. Slipping one hand under his cheek, she lifted his head and eased the pillow under him, before lowering him again. Sam mumbled quietly, but only flopped over and wrapped his arms around the pillow, hugging it to him tighter. Shaking out the quilt, Rhiannon settled it over him. Smiling at the sight of him looking so peaceful, she moved his backpack to the floor behind the couch and his shoes to sit beside the door. Grabbing up her own backpack, she moved to the kitchen and spread out her stuff on the table. Fixing herself a glass of orange juice and a snack, she sat down and opened her textbook, settling down to get the nightmare that was dual enrollment calculus out of the way.
It was just after midnight when she heard the garage door open to admit her returning foster parents. Ryan and Seth had not come home yet and Sam was still sleeping on the couch. She'd finally ordered Korean take-out and invited Taylor over, so that she wouldn't be alone in the big house. Taylor had fallen asleep sometime during the last movie and Rhiannon could feel herself getting ready to follow her into the Land of Morpheus. Nevertheless, she pushed herself to her feet sluggishly and went in search of her parents. Kirsten was adjusting the blanket over Sam, her eyes filled with genuine affection for her daughter's boyfriend, before Rhiannon murmured from the hallway. "Hi Kirsten."
"Hi honey," Kirsten murmured back, coming over and hugging the girl tightly. "Ryan and Seth in bed?"
"No . . . they haven't come home yet. I asked Taylor to come over and keep me company; she's asleep in the den. I hope that's okay?"
"That's fine, sweetie," Kirsten reassured her daughter, continuing to hold the girl as she turned her head to look at her husband with a frown. "It's a school night. The boys should be back by now."
Sandy nodded, bending to kiss each of their cheeks before reassuring his wife that he'd call them and make sure they busted their butts home, ASAP. "Sam staying the night I assume?" Sandy asked his daughter, smiling at her tenderly.
"He fell asleep the second we got here, and has been sleeping soundly since we got home."
"His homework?"
Rhiannon blushed, shrugging, "Taylor and I did it for him, just this once. He's been so tired lately; I figured that the rest was doing him more good than fighting his way through the mountain of homework his teachers assigned him."
Kirsten kissed her forehead fondly as she hummed in agreement. "We should get Taylor moved to your room and get Sam transferred to the guest room. Sandy, if you'll take care of Taylor, Stardust and I can handle Sam."
Sandy nodded, moving toward the den to retrieve Taylor and get her settled into Rhiannon's bed. The two girls never seemed to have a problem with sharing a bed together and Rhiannon's foster parents had never questioned it before. Kirsten moved to the couch, crouching beside the couch and reaching out to brush Sam's hair from his forehead. Frowning at the subtle heat coming off his skin, Kirsten shook him lightly. Sam mumbled sleepily, but forced one eye open to glare balefully at his girlfriend's mother. "I know you're tired Sam, but you'll be more comfortable in the guest room," Kirsten explained, tossing back the coverlet and helping Sam sit up. Both women each drew an arm over their shoulders, and pulled him fluidly to his feet. Sam swayed dizzily for a moment, before he allowed the women to lead him into the guest room. Kirsten left her daughter to help Sam undress, before returning to tuck him into bed. She wasn't sure why, but there was just something about the youngest Winchester that begged her to mother him. Sam blinked up at her tiredly, murmuring his good nights and passing out again before Kirsten had even lifted up from the maternal kiss she'd pressed to his forehead.
Next Kirsten turned to her swaying daughter, gathering her into her arms and hustling her to her own room. Fortunately Rhiannon was already in her pajamas, and Kirsten simply drew back the covers for the girl to crawl under. Rhiannon settled onto the king sized mattress, letting Kirsten fuss at both her and a sleepy, barely awake Taylor. Kissing each of their heads, she tucked them in once more before whispering goodnight to them both. "Love you both. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Kirsten," both girls chorused, before Kirsten flicked off the light and eased the door shut behind her. It was a testament to how tired the two were that there wasn't even any muffled whispering or excited murmurs coming through the door as there usually was when Taylor spent the night; it was simply quiet. Kirsten smiled and went to go call Dean Winchester, to inform the boy of where his younger brother was . . . as well as go make some coffee and prepare to wait up for her two wayward sons.
Kirsten was still on the phone with Dean when she heard the two sons in question attempt to sneak in through the front door. "Hold on a second, Dean," she insisted, before moving into the living room with a harsh scold of, "Hold it right there! You two will give me two seconds to get off the phone, and then you'd both better have damn good reasons for being out until one in the morning, when your curfew on school nights is ten."
Focusing back on her conversation, she continued as though she hadn't been interrupted, "Sam is fine. Apparently he passed out from exhaustion right after school and has been sleeping ever since. We put him in the guest room and called to let you know where he was. Taylor and Rhiannon will make sure he gets to school in the morning . . . yes, I have some clothes here that he can wear. They were intended for Christmukkah, but he can have them now and I'll go buy him something else . . . It's not a problem . . . Dean; your brother outgrows his clothes like a fiend. I realize you don't have a lot of money to buy him new jeans every time he shoots up another inch or two and therefore, I have no problem replacing them. I am, after all, rather fond of your little brother . . . I am very sorry he worried you. I'll make sure Rhiannon calls you if it happens again . . . You too, Dean, enjoy what remains of your night . . . Tell your father I said goodnight."
Hanging up the phone, she put both hands on her hips and raked her eyes over both boys. There was a bruise on Ryan's face, coupled with a split lip, and she sighed. "You know what . . . it's late. Go to bed and we'll talk about this in the morning before school. I hope you two managed to get your homework done, while you were out doing whatever it was you were doing. And Ryan, in the morning I want to talk to you about your sister."
Ryan nodded, ducking his head as he scraped past his foster mother. Seth only yawned widely and trotted lazily up the stairs to his own room. Kirsten ran a flustered hand back through her hair, leaning back into her husband as Sandy wrapped his arms around her waist in a display of affection. "I'm worried about them," she confessed in a whisper as she rested her head back against his shoulder.
"Ryan and Seth?"
"No; Ryan and Rhiannon. They're not the same kids they were when we took them in, and I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. Ryan doesn't seem to spend much time with Rhiannon anymore; and Stardust pretends it doesn't bother her, but I can tell it does." Unable to say anything that would be of comfort, Sandy only kissed her sweetly and guided her to their bedroom and the inviting warmth of their own bed.
The next morning, Rhiannon was standing in the kitchen, putting her and Sam's lunches together, when a battered looking Ryan came in from the pool house. "Morning Ryan," Rhiannon greeted her twin, giving him a timid smile as he moved to the cupboards.
Ryan grunted noncommittally, pulling out a bowl and a box of cereal. Rhiannon poured him a mug of coffee and grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, setting both in front of him without a word. "So there's this party next weekend," she started, pretending indifference, as she returned her attention to her own preparations.
"Yeah, so?" Ryan asked, his voice bored and disinterested.
"Well, Taylor would like to go and asked me to ask you if you could get us in the door, seeing as you're a lot more popular than Tay, Sam and me."
Ryan looked up at his sister through his bangs, watching her move easily through the kitchen having obviously grown accustomed to their surroundings and her own place in them while he'd been trying to keep his head above the proverbial water of Marissa's all-consuming problems. "Marissa won't like having Taylor Townsend there, but I'll see what I can do. Is Sam going to take you two?"
"Sam's not really into Halloween, but he said he'd take us," Rhiannon murmured, placing the three turkey sandwiches in sandwich bags and placing them in the Strawberry Shortcake lunch box that Kirsten had bought for her when she'd started taking their lunches from home. "Taylor's really excited about it."
"Yeah; what about you? Are you excited about it?"
"I've recently learned not to get my hopes up when it comes to you, Ryan. I'll reserve my excitement for when you tell us you can get us in."
Ryan jerked slightly, sounding as though he'd been sucker punched. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Please, Ryan, don't make this harder than it is . . . since Tijuana it's like you've been a different person, a different brother. You and Seth have your own friends, I get it. But I'm still your sister and you don't even spend any time with me anymore. You're kinda acting like Trey, as much as it kills me to admit that out loud."
"Trey!? You've gotta be kidding!" Ryan demanded, his eyes going wide.
"No," she whispered, grabbing two sodas from the fridge and putting them in the lunch box as well, before closing it up and stashing it in the bottom of her backpack. "It's always Marissa this and Seth that and I feel like I did in Chino, when Trey would drag us along and I knew I didn't belong in that crowd. I'm just grateful for Sam and Taylor; they've really been my support group since the beginning of the school year. I probably would have relapsed if it wasn't for them."
"God, Stardust, I'm sorry."
Rhiannon shrugged haplessly, her Prussian blue eyes meeting her brother's sadly. "No you're not. And I don't want you to be. Just try to get us into the party. Taylor would appreciate it."
Ryan's eyes were wide with horror as he nodded, "I'll do the best I can."
"Thank you," she whispered, before she turned to pour a single cup of coffee. "I should go wake Sam. I've been putting it off, knowing how tired he's been lately. But school starts in an hour, and Tay's going to be swinging back by to take us to school and he needs to be ready to go."
Stopping at her brother's side, she bent to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. "Love you, big brother," was all she said, before she disappeared from the kitchen, the steaming mug in her hand.
Sam grunted miserably as his girlfriend set the mug on the nightstand and reached to shake his shoulder. His t-shirt was soaked in sweat and his shaggy hair was matted to his forehead. "Sammy?" she asked, folding the palm of her hand over his forehead. "Oh, Sammy-honey, you're burning up. Lie still; I'm gonna go get my mother."
Sam didn't even seem to hear her, just groaning and curling up into a tighter ball as Rhiannon stood and dashed from the room, calling for Kirsten. Her foster mother – really the only mother she could remember since she was ten – came out of her room, looking concerned as Rhiannon dashed toward her at full speed. "Stardust, what's wrong, honey?"
"It's Sam. He's sick. He's so hot and I don't know what to do. Mom, fix it . . . please . . . " she begged, her eyes wide and frightened as she stared up at Kirsten trustingly.
Giving her flustered daughter a small smile, she wrapped her arm tenderly around the girl's upper arms in an attempt to stave off the panic attack that Kirsten could see building in her daughter's eyes. In her heart, she thrilled to hear the girl call her "Mom" before forcing herself back onto the problem at hand. Kirsten had learned early that the best way to prevent a panic attack was give Rhiannon some sort of structure and a clearly delineated path to follow. "All right, Stardust. Call Taylor . . . tell her not to worry about picking you up for school today. Sam's gonna need you; he's not gonna be nearly as comfortable with me taking care of him as he will be with you. Then call his brother; explain that Sam's got a fever and we're gonna keep him here until he gets better. Then get that big bowl out of the kitchen and fill it with ice. Bring me that, a pitcher of cool water and a couple rags, okay?"
Rhiannon nodded frantically as she rushed to do as told. Kirsten moved toward the guest room, seeing Sam shivering violently under the blankets. "Oh honey," she breathed, coming further into the room and laying her hand gently on the flushed skin behind his exposed ear.
Sam flinched at the cold touch of her chilled fingers, whimpering pitifully as Kirsten tucked the blankets around him more firmly. "Sam, it's Kirsten. I need you to look at me for a second, okay?"
"The light hurts," he whimpered, eyes still squinted against the dim light coming from the hallway and the bright sun coming through the windows.
Kirsten didn't even hesitate, getting up to draw the heavy black-out curtains and flick off the light switch in the hallway. Rhiannon arrived back at almost that second, carrying everything Kirsten had ordered her to get, including the thermometer which Kirsten had forgotten in her haste to contain Rhiannon's panic. "Dean insisted on coming over to help with Sam," she said, setting the bowl on the nightstand next to the untouched mug of coffee and sitting on the edge of the bed beside her boyfriend. Bending, she pressed a slow kiss to his burning forehead, whispering against the skin, "Hey baby."
"Sadira, it hurts," he groaned, clenching his eyes tighter and resting his throbbing temple against her knee.
Her fingers were gentle and absent in his hair as she murmured to him in a language Kirsten didn't know. ((It's gonna be okay, Sam, I promise. Mom and I are gonna fix this and you're gonna be as right as rain before you know it,)) she promised, the Latin words slipping easily off her tongue as she moved her fingers along a pressure point on the back of his neck, just under his hairline.
Sam groaned in relief, as the echo of the pressure rebounded from his forehead, mirror points he'd never figured out, but it still felt like heaven. Two clear lines of peace sliced through his brain and he sagged into his pillows with a sigh. ((Thank you,)) he replied in Latin, the first language he learned to think in – even though English was his first spoken language — and therefore the easiest one to answer his girlfriend in. ((Dean?))
((Is on his way. Mom had me call him to let him know what was going on, and he pretty much barked at me not to move you and he'd be right here.))
((Am I the only one that thinks your brother meeting mine is a bad idea?)) Sam murmured, attempting a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
((Ryan is capable of behaving himself in front of people. He just refuses to,)) Rhiannon scoffed, dipping the rag into the bowl and using it to wipe away the droplets of sweat at his hairline.
The combination of her fingers pressing into his nape and the cool cloth on his forehead almost worked; almost drove the headache into manageable levels. The sound of a loud crash as the front door slammed open, in addition to the sound of Dean's voice shouting "Sammy!" as his feet pounded up the stairs, caused the lion stalking Sam to pounce and Sam was up and in the bathroom in two seconds flat, heaving his guts into the toilet bowl. Dean was there seconds later and Sam latched onto his brother – his overprotective, smothering, suffocating, stifling, arrogant, reliable and beloved older brother – as he moaned, "Dean," letting Dean's cool hands brush over the too hot flesh of his forehead.
Dean's voice was full of gentle affection and not his usual gruffness. "Easy Sammy. Just lie still."
Sam didn't seem inclined to argue – with either the order or the offensive nickname – letting Dean and Rhiannon stretch him out on the chilly tile floor with his head pillowed in his girlfriend's lap and his brother using the cold cloth on his skin to try and bring down his fever. Kirsten stood in the door jamb, shaking out a blanket and draping it over Sam's shivering form. "You two got him?"
Dean nodded, looking up at his brother's girlfriend's mother. "We got him. Thank you for letting him stay here."
"Dean, your brother is always welcome here. Let me know if you three need anything, okay?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Cohen," Sam whimpered, his green-hazel eyes hazy as they struggled to lock on her face.
Kirsten smiled, crouching to lay a hand on his exposed ankle. "Don't even worry about it, honey; just rest and get better. Okay?" Sam nodded slowly, trying not to aggravate the tightrope walker in his head. "Good. I'll be back to check on you around lunchtime."
Sam's eyes slipped closed and Rhiannon smiled at Kirsten. "Thanks Mom."
Kirsten leaned over Sam's motionless body and pressed a kiss to her daughter's temple. "You're welcome, honey. Take good care of him."
Rhiannon nodded, directing her attention back to her boyfriend as she ran her fingers lightly through his hair. Resting her hand on his shoulder, Kirsten smiled again at Dean before heading from the room and into the living room. Ryan and Seth were sitting there, with Marissa and Summer, watching her curiously. "What's wrong with Stardust?" Ryan asked, his eyes filled with concern for his twin sister.
"She's fine. Sam woke up with a pretty high fever and she panicked. She and Dean are in the bathroom with him. He'll be all right; probably just a case of the flu. It is flu season," she remarked casually, though she was actually very worried about the youngest Winchester brother. Dean wouldn't just drop everything and rush to his baby brother's side for no reason. Glancing at the clock, she scolded, "The four of you should head on to school."
"Do I need to bring them their homework?" Ryan asked quietly, causing an assessing look from Kirsten.
After a second, Kirsten shook her head. "No, I think Taylor's bringing it over for them. The three of them are the Musketeers, you know. But thank you anyway for the offer, Ryan . . . I'm sure they both will appreciate it. If you need to do something for them, talk to your friends about the party. It would definitely brighten your sister's day."
"I thought Taylor was the one who wanted to go, and Stardust said that Sam isn't into Halloween."
"Taylor does want to go, but so does Stardust. She's just better at hiding how badly she wants something so she doesn't get disappointed when she doesn't get it," Kirsten reminded her foster son, reaching out to hug both boys despite Seth's loud protests.
Ryan nodded, turning his eyes toward the upstairs guest bathroom where Sam and his brother and Ryan's sister were each lost in the repercussions of Sam's illness. "Let her know I'll talk to Luke and make sure the three of them can get in the door, okay?"
"I'll let them know. Now, I'm serious; you need to get to school before you're late."
In Marissa's car, Marissa watched Ryan out of the corner of her eye as Ryan stared out the window. "You're really going to convince Luke to let 'Freak Show' Townsend come to our Halloween party?"
Ryan whirled to face his girlfriend, his eyes dark and his mouth pinched. "'Freak Show' Townsend is my sister's only friend, because you and your friends seem to think you're better than her for some reason. Taylor accepted her with open arms and without question the second they met, while you couldn't look past her first panic attack and see the frightened girl underneath her illness! I've been so wrapped up in you and your problems, Marissa, that I've been neglecting her. She's my TWIN SISTER and I haven't looked at her twice since Tijuana, because I've been too worried about the next time you're going to do something damaging, both to yourself and to everyone around you who loves you." By the end of his tirade, Ryan was yelling and seeing red.
"She's got her boyfriend. She doesn't need you," Marissa scoffed.
"Yeah, she's got her boyfriend and she's got her best friend, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't still need her big brother . . . both of her big brothers! Are you so selfish that you can't let anyone else take someone's attention off of you for any reason? Grow up, Marissa . . . the world does not revolve around you," Ryan seethed, slamming out of the car and striding furiously toward the school.
Seth sighed and leaned over to kiss Summer's cheek. "That's my cue to go after him, before he punches someone."
By the time Seth had caught up with his foster brother, Ryan had managed to track down Taylor Townsend, Rhiannon Atwood's best friend. "Hey Taylor," Ryan greeted, jogging to catch up to her with Seth hot on his heels.
Taylor's eyes were wide as she whirled to face her best friend's two brothers. Looking around wildly for a second, she spoke, "Star's not here, so I'm not sure why you're talking to me."
"I know Stardust's not here. She's at the house with Sam. I just wanted to let you know first that you three are more than welcome to come to Luke's party. Come and have fun, okay?"
Taylor smiled up at him, clutching her books to her chest tightly. "Thank you, Ryan. We will." Suddenly biting her lip, she ducked her head and scuffed the floor lightly, "Hey, speaking of Sam . . . how is he? Star said she'd call me at lunch, but she didn't tell me much to begin with."
"Kirsten said he's got a fever and a case of the flu, but he should be okay. His brother Dean came over this morning, and Stardust's with him too."
Taylor sighed, visibly relieved by the knowledge. "Thank you. I appreciate your honesty."
"So, can I walk you to class?" he asked, as they stopped at her locker.
Taylor smiled sadly as she fumbled with the combination, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "I don't need your pity, Ryan. You don't have to be nice to me, just to get back into your sister's good graces. I'll tell your sister you were a perfect gentleman, even if you weren't, because I can see how much it kills her to be so distanced from you right now."
Ryan's jaw dropped slightly, before he shook his head. "I'm not trying to get back into my sister's good graces . . . okay, that's not true . . . I am. But I'm not going to use you to do that, Taylor. That's not fair to you. I just want to walk you to class. That's all."
Looking up into his eyes, she contemplated his sincerity, before nodding. "Are you sure Marissa won't mind?"
Ryan's features hardened and he ground out, "I'm really not sure I care whether or not Marissa cares right now. I'm sick and tired of her whining and her drama queen shit."
Taylor smiled up at him, resting one hand on his forearm. "Talk to your sister about how she feels about Marissa Cooper. You might be surprised by what she tells you. And Sam, who is just about the sweetest and most non-confrontational person in the world, has a few nasty things to say about her too after all the run-ins he's had with her and her cronies. You might want to know what kind of person you're dating, before you find yourself in too deep to get out."
Outside the classroom, Taylor went inside to talk to Ms Hardy about Sam and Rhiannon as well as getting their homework for them, while Ryan turned to face his best friend. "Am I the only one who didn't see what kind of a person I've been being to my little sister? Or does everyone else see how badly I've treated her because of Marissa?"
"Dude, I'm just as guilty as you are. I never think to include her or Sam in any of the stuff we do with the girls. I may not be her twin, but I'm still her big brother," Seth remarked, sounding awestruck and guilt-stricken by the realization. "Maybe it's time to reevaluate everything and log some quality Ryan/Seth/Rhiannon time once Sam gets better. And then maybe the Atwood Twins need to have a long talk with each other."
Ryan nodded, spotting Luke down the hall. "Hey, I need to talk to Luke about his party and getting the three of them in. You gonna be okay on your own?"
"Dude, I am the Ironist, remember? I will be fine," he joked, the two punching fists lightly, before Seth headed off down the hall toward his own classroom.
Ryan called out to his friend, jogging to catch up with the boy. "Hey Luke, I need a favor."
The two punched fists, as Luke nodded shortly, "Sure man, what's up?"
"You remember my sister, right? Rhiannon?"
"Right, the one Winchester calls 'Sadira.' No offense to your sister, but what does she see in the kid anyway? I mean, I like the kid . . . awesome soccer player . . . but has she taken a look at him lately? He's too tall, almost hulking, and he always acts like he's smarter than everyone else."
"Probably because he is. Probably because all three of them are," Ryan muttered under his breath before plunging forward, "Rhiannon and her friends want to go to your Halloween party next week. I told her I'd see what I could do."
"Friends who?"
"Her boyfriend Sam Winchester and Taylor Townsend," Ryan said, cringing as he remembered Marissa's opinion of the girl and hoping that Luke's reaction would not be similar.
"Winchester and Townsend are friends with your sister? I didn't know that. I mean, I did, but I don't think I ever really thought about how strange that is until now," Luke remarked absently, his eyes going glazed as he contemplated the trio that Ryan had always just accepted as a part of his shiny new Newport Beach life.
Ryan lifted his hand and snapped his fingers in Luke's face, forcing his attention back onto him. "So? Party? We cool?"
"Yeah, man, absolutely. Your sister is my sister. And any friend of my sister's is welcome to crash my party. The more the merrier. Just make sure she keeps Sam away from Chip, okay? Sam and Chip had a run-in freshman year and Chip's never really forgiven Sam for the ass-kicking Winchester dished out. He's a quiet kid, but he can stomp some serious butt. And he's a hell of a soccer player; next time you see him, remind him that soccer try-outs in a week and he has to show up for try-outs for the team again this year, so the returning players can pick the rookies, would ya?"
Ryan nodded, surprised that his sister's boyfriend was a soccer player. He didn't really seem the type to get involved in sports, especially considering how often he ragged on Harbor's jocks. Shrugging it off as just another piece of the mystery that was Sam Winchester, Ryan rounded on his heel as the warning bell rang and dashed again for his first class. Dropping into the seat beside Taylor, the two exchanged quick smiles, before Ms Hardy called the class to order and the day began again.
It was a few days before Sam was well enough to leave the guest room and another day or two after that before he was well enough to hear about food without turning green. As much as it had killed him, Dean had been called home by his dad two days in and Taylor had come over to take his place. It amused Ryan to listen to the three friends banter effortlessly over little things, though even Ryan could tell that Sam's barbs were forced and didn't flow as easily as they had when he was at full health. Rhiannon spent a lot of time curled up beside him on either the couch in the den or on his bed in the guest room, while Taylor chattered on aimlessly about everything that they'd been missing at Harbor since Sam had fallen ill.
Sam finally hit the topic that Rhiannon had been consciously avoiding. "What about the party? That's in a couple days, right?"
"Sam, you've been sick. We don't have to go. Let yourself get better first," Rhiannon protested, tilting her head back to look up at him.
"Sadira, I'm fine. I told you two I'd take you to this party and I meant it. What did Ryan say about it?"
Rhiannon shrugged, before Taylor smacked herself in the forehead loudly. "You mean he didn't tell you!? Of course not; he figured I'd tell you myself. We can go; Ryan talked to Luke and Luke said the three of us were more than welcome to come. Which means we need to go find costumes Star."
Rhiannon shook her head as she laughed. "Sam and I already found ours online."
"Yeah?" Taylor asked, sprawling forward as she watched the two. "Did you order them?"
"Yeah; we figured we'd go to the party even if Ryan said no. What was to stop us from crashing it? There're gonna be so many people, Luke wouldn't even have noticed three more people."
"So what are you guys going to be?"
"You're going to have to wait and find out," Rhiannon giggled, cuddling closer to her boyfriend for one blissful moment. "You?"
"I'm gonna see if I can't raise your brother's blood pressure as a sultry Tinkerbelle," Taylor laughed, tossing her hair in debutante style, causing a deep-bellied laugh from Sam and a delighted giggle from Rhiannon. Pretending for all of a second to be affronted, Taylor couldn't resist and joined them in their joy shortly after.
The day of the party arrived and the girls were getting ready in Rhiannon's room. Sam had earned permission to pick up the girls in the Impala and he let himself into the Cohen house with an ease borne of long practice. Kirsten looked up and her jaw dropped at the sight of the boy in front of her. He was bare-chested, with a leather collar draped around his shoulders. A studded-leather gladiator skirt sat low on his hips and brushed his knees, where the laces to his Roman sandals tied off. The leather braces at his wrists, the coiled bullwhip and the silver handled dagger hanging from his belt completed the look. What Kirsten couldn't get over was how toned Sam was; the boy usually wore more layers than a cat and it was hard to figure out his real shape under the shapeless fabric. Every abdominal muscle was carved in the skin and she easily counted all six, before turning her gaze to the lean, corded biceps and well defined pectoral muscles.
Realizing that she was ogling her daughter's boyfriend, Kirsten snapped her mouth shut and took a hasty drink from the wineglass in her hand. "Hi Sam. You look . . . "
Sam's grin was slow as he teased, "Different?"
"Considerably," she chuckled. "What are you supposed to be?"
"It'll be easier to explain if you see Sadira," Sam mused absently, one hand lifting to rub sub-consciously at the back of his neck, sending a series of muscles in his chest and his arms into chaotic motion as they shifted and flexed under the expanse of skin.
A low gasp behind them reminded Kirsten that Summer was there too, as Ryan and Seth's ride to the same party. "Wow, Winchester, who knew you were so hot?"
Sam shrugged, toying with the end of the whip at his side. As though on cue, Rhiannon and Taylor's voices resounded from the stairwell as they moved to come downstairs. Taylor wore a charming Tinkerbelle outfit, with a pair of gossamer wings jutting gracefully from her shoulders. There was a touch of glitter in the laidback curls of auburn hair as well as a healthy smear decorating every inch of exposed skin and the elegant half-mask decorated with tiny butterflies. She carried a small wand and had a pair of dainty green ballet flats on her feet.
But Rhiannon? Rhiannon was as breathtaking a change as Sam had been.
She wore a dark brown leather bustier the same color as Sam's costume, with laces that started at her sides and wrapped across her whole back. The skirt was floor length, but two slits to her hips exposed the long, graceful line of a bare thigh as she glided down the stairs. A pair of high heeled Roman sandals encased her toned calves to her knees, the golden color of them matching the gilded embroidery on the bustier. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, a cascade of ringlet curls bouncing across her shoulders and down her back. Two golden cuffs gripped her upper arms tightly and a pair of black shackles hung from her slender wrists, the chain long enough to not be restrictive, but also not long enough to drag on the floor and trip her up. Her makeup was subtle, but breathtaking; the bronze colored shadow on her upper lids brought out the natural gold shots in her Prussian blues and her lip gloss was lightly tinted pink. Taylor had a black cloak over one shoulder and Kirsten knew instantly that her daughter was probably showing more skin than she'd ever shown in her life.
Sam took the cloak from his best friend and clasped it tenderly around Rhiannon's throat. Bending, he pressed a sweet kiss to the tip of her nose. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," she whispered, reaching out to hesitantly brush a fingertip over the bare skin of his chest. At that moment, Kirsten would have bet her whole savings that Rhiannon had never seen so much of her boyfriend either. "You look very handsome."
Regardless of how confidently he'd stared down Kirsten and Summer less than seconds before, Sam blushed lightly at his girlfriend's compliment, his muscles flexing again as he scratched self-consciously at the back of his neck once more. "As long as you think so."
Kirsten smiled, setting her hands on her hips and cocking her head, "So what are you two?"
Rhiannon blushed and smiled at her foster mom. "I'm an enslaved barbaric princess and Sam is my rather hot Greek slave owner. See the whip?"
"I'm more worried about the shackles. Are they going to end up hurting you as the night wears on?"
Rhiannon shook her head, reaching up and squishing the cuff to her wrist. "They're rubber. And I can take them off without any trouble, if they start to rub my skin raw or something."
Summer couldn't resist, her arms folded across the chest of the black and hot pink vinyl costume she wore – she'd made it specifically so that Seth could sketch her as Lil Miss Vixen – as she teased, "So, who came up with this idea?"
Sam immediately pointed at Rhiannon, who only shrugged lightly, not even bothering to deny it. "I thought he'd look good in it. I just didn't realize how good. Tay, you're gonna have to help me fend off the girls off of him."
"I might be helping Sam fend guys off of you, as well as helping you fend girls off of Sam. Just stay together and be the sweet, adorable couple I know you to be and neither of you should have any problems," Taylor advised practically, hugging both of them tightly. "I'm so excited. I've never been to a high school party."
Sam shrugged lazily, "They're nothing to get excited over, Tay, I promise. I had to go to more than my fair share when I played for the soccer team."
Taylor's hand connected with his bare shoulder with a loud crack as she scolded, "At least let me enjoy the delusion until the party itself busts it."
The sight of Rhiannon wrapped up in Sam's arms, her head resting lightly against his chest with their eyes watching Taylor patiently as they quietly sought to follow her rambling, sparked a sudden need to document it in Kirsten. "I want pictures!" she suddenly chirped out, whirling around and going to find both her camera and her sons. "Ryan! Seth! Get in here! I want pictures!"
Ryan arrived in the foyer, decked out as Kid Chino, down to the steel gloves encasing his hands and forearms. Seth's comic book was still a private family thing, but her two brothers put as much energy and effort into it as girlfriends, school and homework would allow. He slammed to a stop at the sight of his sister, his jaw hitting the floor in shock. "Stardust!?" he inquired, choked, as he stared at all the skin his baby sister was leaving bare and how little she was actually leaving to the imagination. "What are you wearing?"
"My Halloween costume, Ryan," she explained patiently, rolling her eyes at Taylor as she pulled cloak around her tighter and cuddled closer to her boyfriend. "I'm sure there will be girls there wearing a whole lot less."
"I really don't care how much or how little they'll be wearing. I care about how little you're wearing."
"Don't you dare go all 'older brother' on me, Ryan Atwood! I have been taking care of myself without you for weeks now. You can't just barge ahead and expect me to follow orders all over again. See, Kirsten's sending me to a therapist who is all about me being more proactive and taking charge of my life. This," she said, gesturing to herself in a general enough manner that implied the costume, her boyfriend and her lifestyle all in one motion, "is how I choose to take charge of my life. So you can either get on the bandwagon, or it can leave you in the dust. Agreed?"
Ryan's jaw was clenched tightly and that muscle in his jaw that always twitched when he was precariously close to losing his temper was twitching, but Ryan nodded, his hands fisting tighter at his sides. "If someone even looks at you wrong tonight, Stardust, I reserve the right to kick his ass."
Sam muttered bitterly, "You'll have to wait in line," he countered through teeth that Rhiannon could almost hear grinding together.
Rhiannon rolled her eyes and growled at them both. "No beating people up! Either of you! I'm going to stick like glue to Sam and Taylor and not make eye contact with anyone. There's no reason for either of you to go all caveman on me. Especially you, Ryan; you cannot afford any more trouble or they'll haul your butt back to Juvie. And Sam, you dislocated that guy's shoulder at the beach when he slapped my ass. I don't want a repeat tonight, okay? Both of you stay out of trouble tonight . . . I mean it."
"Whatever," Ryan huffed, rolling his eyes slightly and grabbing the hoodie on the chair.
Rhiannon smirked, her eyes twinkling as she slipped Sam's knife effortlessly from the sheath. "Besides . . . it's real. And there's always the whip too."
Reaching out and plucking the knife from his girlfriend, Sam shoved the blade carelessly and – to Kirsten's great alarm – without looking into its sheath. "Which . . . I know how to use as a defensive weapon," Sam confessed sheepishly. "I didn't get it at a costume store; it's real and it's mine and my dad bought it for me years ago. One of the few gifts I really liked. It's kinda cool. You know when Anthony Hopkins uses the whip on the candles? I can do that. Took a lot of practice . . . but I can still do it."
"Baby, you're rambling," Rhiannon teased lightly, her eyes sparkling as she tilted her head back to look up at her boyfriend. "If you keep going, you're going to put Taylor out of a job."
"Har har, very funny," Sam muttered, rolling his eyes as Taylor smirked at her best friends.
"Sam's gonna need to ramble a lot more before that happens," Taylor snickered, yelping as she barely dodged Sam's playful slap.
Kirsten snapped a picture of the scene before her; Taylor wrapped up in Sam's left arm as the fingers of his right caused squeals of ticklish giggles, while Rhiannon stood a little apart, the chain of her shackles dangling before her, and a wide smile splitting her face as she cheered her boyfriend on. Rhiannon's eyes were amazingly dark as she twisted to look back over her shoulder at the sound of the shutter, getting another picture taken for her trouble. "You three look very nice. There's not going to be a single person there that's not going to want to knock you off your feet."
"That's what I'm worried about," Sam muttered, reaching out to drag Rhiannon into his right arm, both of his "girls" trapped neatly in his all-encompassing embrace.
"Rhiannon said she's going to stick to you like glue, Sam; and Taylor's right . . . just be the adorable couple we know you to be and everything'll work out in the end. No drinking and, if I don't see you after you drop off the girls here, drive home safe."
"Yes ma'am. 'No drinking' was one of the rules involved in driving the car."
"Good for your brother."
"Not that he doesn't think I shouldn't get wasted once in awhile to 'loosen me up,' just not when I'm driving his Baby," he continued, a sly smile tilting up one corner of his lips.
Kirsten chuckled, turning to face her sons and Summer, each of whom looked like a character out of Seth's comic book. Summer Roberts was Lil Miss Vixen, Ryan Atwood was Kid Chino and Seth Cohen was . . . well, Seth Cohen . . . in a suit-and-tie. "Are we ready to go?" Summer asked, glancing at the two boys she was going to be driving there.
The two brothers nodded, each hugging Kirsten and both boys dropping an absent kiss to Rhiannon's upturned cheek before moving toward the door. "Ready when you are."
Summer grinned and hugged the two girls – even Taylor – before leading the way outside and into her car. "See you guys at the party." Outside, the two boys heard her snicker wickedly, "Coop is going to flip her lid."
When the three of them arrived at the party, Sam slipped from the driver's seat and jogged around the hood to assist both girls from the car. Afraid of tripping over her hem, Rhiannon sat patiently until Sam leant down to offer her an outstretched hand. "My Lady," he teased, pulling her effortlessly to her feet. Rhiannon linked one shackled hand into his, while Taylor linked her hand into his opposite elbow. "Let's crash . . . shall we?" she asked cheerfully.
As they approached the door, Taylor consciously dropped back, letting the gorgeous couple make their grand entrance together and alone. Marissa was standing with Luke over by the punch bowl, discussing the success of their party, while Sam and Rhiannon entered the foyer at the head of the stairs. True to Summer's prediction – a fact Summer was there to witness – Marissa turned a horrid pale-green at the sight of the couple known throughout Harbor as the "King and Queen of the Geeks," choking on her Jack-&-Coke. Rhiannon's understated sexuality and Sam's nearly bare and hunky body easily outshined everyone at the party . . . even Harbor's Social Chair in her daring Guinevere gown.
"I hate her," Marissa muttered viciously under her breath, watching Rhiannon and Sam come further into the room as though they owned the place. "I love that costume . . . I hate her!"
Luke cast a suspicious sideways glance at his ex-girlfriend, before moving to welcome the trio. "Hey! Rhiannon, right? Ryan's twin sister?"
"Hello Luke," Rhiannon greeted, finding that the question needed no reply. "I'm sure you know Sam Winchester, and this is our good friend Taylor Townsend."
"Hey Winchester . . . Taylor, welcome to the party," Luke greeted both smiling at each teen, as he reached out to shake Sam's hand companionably. "We're gonna see you out on the field this year, right?"
Sam shrugged; "I'm sure I can be convinced. When are try-outs again?"
"Coming up in a week or two."
"I'm sure I can be persuaded to put in at least a token appearance."
A week later, Sam and Ryan had both made the soccer team, earning promises from Rhiannon and Taylor that they would be there every game.