Disclaimer: Neither Jordan nor I own Supernatural.

A/N: Insert really hurried, really random author's note here.

Jordan: Aren't they all?

Me: Well, yeah…

Jordan: So then there's only one thing left to say. Reviews equal love. :P

Chapter Nine -- Excuses, Excuses

Okay, I officially hate the mornings, Lyn grumbled mentally as she heaved a sigh and got out of bed. And night… and afternoon… and any other time of day that won't let me effing sleep…

It was a little after eight o'clock, which was actually very late for Lyn, who generally got up at six on the dot. She had stayed in bed in an attempt to catch up on a little rest, but it hadn't worked out particularly well.

I need caffeine, she observed blandly as her gaze swept the room. Unfortunately, there was no source of caffeine in sight. Urgh… Does this mean I have to wait an hour until some freaking coffee shop somewhere opens!?

"Jordan," Lyn called, kicking the foot of the bed as if she expected that to wake up her sister. "What happened to the rest of my dadburned tea…?"

Jordan groaned loudly and kicked at Lyn. "Go back to sleep... get tea later…"

Lyn's voice turned to a growl as she answered, "It's already eight o'clock in the morning, I can't sleep, and do you really want to deal with me while I'm in caffeine and sugar withdrawal?"

"Ugh... I only got to sleep 2 hours ago and now you're making me get up... I hate you at this moment…" Jordan pushed herself up and then turned and glared daggers at Lyn.

"Yeah, yeah, what else is new?" Lyn muttered. "At least you got to sleep… And where's my freaking tea, dadgum it!?"

"How am I supposed to know!? I don't drink tea... So why would I take it? ... Let's just take the car and get coffee and tea…"

Jordan pulled herself out of bed still wrapped in the sheets, and fell flat on her face with a thud. "I... blame... you…" She mumbled into the carpet.

There was a knock heard suddenly, followed by, "You girls up?"

"'Up' is a relative term," Lyn said slowly, nudging Jordan with her toe. "You know, sis, I don't know if the carpet appreciates your attempting to make out with it…"

"Shut up…"

She got up after a few seconds and then went over to the door, opening it, and coming face to face with a very tired-looking Sam. "Jeez, insomnia seems to be contagious…"

"Something like that, I guess," Lyn murmured, staring at a space of wall a few inches above Jordan's head and so avoiding any semblance of eye contact. Nonetheless, there was little doubt that she was speaking to Sam as she asked in the same tone, "So what is it…?"

Sam let out a breath and said, "Dean sent me to get you... We gotta get going soon…"

Jordan noticed Lyn and Sam's awkwardness around each other and looked from one to the other. "Okay, we'll be right over," she said to Sam while looking at Lyn.

"Yeah, okay," Lyn said, avoiding both Sam's gaze and Jordan's and finally actually turning away. "I've gotta… uh… get something.. first…"

Jordan looked over at Sam with a questioning look on her face, which he just ignored and walked away, shutting the door behind him.

"Okay... What was that about? You two have been acting weird around each other for days now. Come on... tell me. I don't like seeing you like this."

"Like what, exactly?" Lyn asked, a little defensively but mostly absentmindedly, as she tried to figure out what she could have needed to get that might have served as an excuse.

"Don't play dumb, Lyn. You're avoiding Sam. You won't even look at him, for God's sake!" Jordan countered.

"I'm not looking at you right now," Lyn shot back as she searched through random pockets for a seemingly nonexistent object. "Does that mean I'm avoiding you?"

Jordan rolled her eyes. "Lyn, we used to tell each other things. Ever since a few days ago, everything's just stupid small talk. You're not Lyn anymore, and if this is what being around Sam and Dean is doing to you, then I don't care how much it might hurt either of us, we're gonna leave."

Lyn sighed exasperatedly. She couldn't pretend there was no truth in what Jordan was saying, but that didn't mean she had to listen. Anyway, she still didn't even know if that was what she wanted or not… though there was no denying that it definitely wasn't what Jordan wanted.

"You know that's stupid," she muttered, finally settling on fishing a pack of gum out of her jeans and just randomly holding it since, for once in her life, she didn't feel like chewing gum. "Maybe I just don't have anything to say. Maybe I do and I just don't want to talk. Maybe I don't even really know any more."

Suddenly a burst of realization hit Jordan. "You... and Sam... Did you? Or he? Oh my gosh!"

Lyn blinked and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. "What?"

"What did he say to you? I swear, if he hurt you, I'm gonna kill him…"

Jordan started to skulk towards the door and Lyn actually broke her emotionless monotony enough to roll her eyes. "What, you think you'd get a chance? Like he wouldn't be dead already?"

She sat down on the bed and sighed. "Not anything like that… He's… nice, I guess… but…"

Jordan looked back at Lyn then walked over and sat next to her. "But what?"

"But… I don't know, Jordan! I'm just not good at trusting people… or judging them, for that matter… And I don't know where the crap he gets off… He doesn't even get it, what he says! He doesn't know what he's asking! And then he just goes storming off and I don't even know what I'm thinking any more," Lyn finished in a confused grumble that really couldn't have made much more sense to Jordan than it did in Lyn's head.

Jordan went over and over what she said. "Did he... say... Does he have feelings for you? Did he tell you he did?"

There was a short silence following Jordan's words during which Lyn tried to figure out how she had managed to talk for a good half minute and not actually mention that… And of course she attempted to figure out how to answer. Somehow she wanted to explain better than that, but couldn't find the words, so she just muttered, "Yes…"

"Whoa... Have you just... ignored him? Have you told him about Mark? Have you talked to him at all?"

"No," Lyn answered truthfully, which was essentially her answer to all those questions. "I don't know what to say. I… I don't… I mean, I… Well, I can't even try to talk to him if he darts off like his hair's on fire every time I'm anywhere near him, now, can I?"

Jordan didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't know... I yelled at you…" She chuckled mirthlessly and added, "I guess you're not the only one with guy troubles…" She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin against her knees.

Lyn looked doubtful. "And what could be up with you that would be considered troubles?"

Jordan bit her cheek, "I think I might like Dean... a lot... like... a lot... bordering on... ugh... I can't even say it... But it's so awkward. I don't wanna risk losing what we already have, you know?"

"And this is where you miss out on having a sister who isn't abrasive and paranoid as all get-out. You don't want my advice or luck with guys, trust me…"

"Lyn... This is just my opinion and you don't have to listen to it I just think that you should talk to him. You like him, right?"

Lyn sighed. "I don't even… I've tried to avoid this topic for so long… I don't even know how to start a conversation like that…"