A/N: This chapter was brought to you by "Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas, chocolate chip cookies with milk, hot cocoa, and a candy cane.
Every part of me screamed to lean in a kiss him, but I knew better. He, however, must have felt the same feeling, for he gently leaned forward and touched his lips to mine.
It was a soft, sweet kiss. One that I knew I would crave after this ended. As if on cue, he pulled away.
"I am so sorry." he apologized, shaking his head. "I was not thinking and I'm really sorry for being so forward."
"It-it, it's okay." I stuttered biting my lip.
I smiled at him before grabbing the tray a rushing out, "That did not just happen." I smiled to myself.
I carried the tray back to the kitchen, leaving Dean to change, and my mother could see right through me as if I were made of glass.
"I take it by the look on your face that you kissed him," she raised her eyebrows at me. I couldn't find my voice, so I just shook my head, "Good."
"Well, I'm going out to tend to the garden. Elizabeth, you are to do the dishes, clean the floor, and do anything Dean asks you to do. Are we clear?"
"Yes ma'am."
She walked out of the doors right as Dean walked into the room, followed closely by Edwin and James. At first I wondered why they seemed so eager, but then I saw that he was carrying his musket and pistol. The group stood around the dining table; my brothers waiting for Dean to sit first.
"Elizabeth, do you have an old table cloth? I don't want to ruin your table."
I nodded my head and when to the closet to fetch the old ratty towel my father laid down when cleaning his musket before leaving. I went back to the group noticing the impatience on my brothers' faces.
"Here you are."
"Thank you," he smiled, dipping his head.
I spread the sheet over the table and Dean sat his guns down before pulling out the chair and sitting. I walked outside to get two pails of water from the well, one for the dishes and one for the floor.
"Good morning, Elizabeth!" Corporal Winchester called out.
"Good morning, sir!"
He walked over to the well and grabbed the first filled pail before I had a chance to, "I see were your son gets his helpfulness."
He laughed deeply and put a hand on my shoulder, "Has he been good to you? Respectful and polite?"
"Yes sir! I couldn't ask for a more wonderful house guest. Honest."
"Good."
"Sir, would you like to join us at dinner tonight?" I asked, knowing my mother would be fine with it. "We will be having carrot soup tonight. We also have a bit of last night's potato stew left over that I'm sure my mother will heat up."
"That sounds heavenly! I think I will be joining you tonight! See you at about seven?"
"Sounds great! Nice seeing you again, Corporal!"
"Please, call me John."
He waved goodbye and walked back to the cottage he was staying in. I carried the water for dishes inside and poured it in the metal tin. I quickly washed up the kitchen and moved on to scrubbing the floor.
"Last but not least, the part you've been waiting to hear about, this is the trigger. Such a simple, yet crucial part to the machine." Dean's voice carried into the adjacent room I was in.
I smiled as I heard my brothers marvel at the "masterpiece", as James called it.
"This soup is absolutely scrumptious!" John boasted, ladling himself another bowl.
"Mmm.." was all Dean could get out.
My mother and I exchanged smiles; she always loved hearing people enjoy the food she made for them. Serving John and Dean made her feel like she was doing some good and help win this war.
A/N: I apologize for the length of the chapter, but it's all because I procrastinated my projects assigned for break. *sigh* I have a lot of work ahead of me! But I wanted to get this up and what not, so here ya go. The plot is getting kinda slow, so the next one should be amped up a bit!