Thanks to Jessalyn-Laine for the constructive comments. I've corrected my mistake confusing the Key of Solomon for "Devil's Trap" in previous chapters. This chapter should be less confusing!

Ch11 – After

Sam rolled out of bed, stretched, his stomach rumbled. As he pulled on fresh clothes, he had the feeling he was being watched. Wide brown eyes peeked over his brother's chest.

"Morning, Sunshine," Sam whispered. "Feel like some breakfast?"

She wriggled out from under Dean's arm. Sam was shocked his brother did not wake. She was already wearing regular clothes. Since the hellhound incident, Rae refused to wear anything to bed she did not want to be seen in outside. Normally Dean made her change first thing in the morning anyway, but Sam did not see the harm in eating breakfast in rumpled clothes occasionally.

Sam took her hand as he pushed the door to their motel room closed. Rae skipped alongside him as they walked through the parking lot to the 24 hour restaurant. It was pretty early and most of the tables were empty.

"Can I have eggs and bacon this morning?" she asked as they waited to be seated.

"Sure. Whatever you want." Sam grinned down at her. "I think today we'll talk about mythology."

She bounced beside him with excitement. He figured it was probably her favorite subject because it was the one Dean took the most interest in. When the hostess seated them Rae hid behind him, gripping his hand tightly. Sam nearly had to force her to sit on the other side of the booth. As usual, she refused to talk to the waitress, so Sam ordered for them both.

Sam looked across at Rae, waiting for their breakfast to be delivered. "Okay, let's get started. First, any questions?" he asked, sipping his coffee. The coffee in this place could nearly jump out of the cup and run off on its own. Sam sighed with contentment.

"What about werewolves?" she asked. Since Rae found her voice a couple of months ago, they had not been able to shut her up. The only time she was quiet was when she was sleeping or around strangers. Okay, so mostly just quiet around strangers, she still had pretty horrible nightmares.

"Silver bullet to the heart," Sam could not help grinning at her. She was like a sponge, absorbing all the information he could throw at her.

"Are zombies real?" Those big brown eyes bored right into him, but he was getting used to it now. Sam found he was starting to like it, even. This uncle thing wasn't too bad.

Sam nodded. "We even had to kill one."

"No way! How do you kill something what's already dead?" Rae was breathless with anticipation.

"Well, it isn't easy," Sam leaned forward, "you have to dig up its grave, then stake it to the gravebed."

Her brow furrowed. "What's a gravebed?"

The waitress chose that exact moment to deliver their food. She gave Sam a stern look as his plate banged against the table. Sam shrugged sheepishly. Rae slid as far away from the waitress as she could. Sam's phone went off.

"Hey, Dean."

"You two better be eating breakfast," he growled.

"Just across the parking lot. Want us to order anything for you? Coffee? Eggs? A morning personality?" Sam grinned at Rae, giving her a wink.

"Just have the damn coffee ready." The line went dead.

Sam chuckled as he put his phone away. Rae looked around to be certain the waitress was not close by before whispering, "Is Dad coming?"

"He'll be here in a few minutes. I just hope he remembers to brush his teeth first," Sam shuddered for effect, making Rae giggle. He waved down the waitress to order a second coffee.

He and Rae played question and answer until Dean arrived. Dean entered the restaurant like a force of nature, blowing through the front door and storming to the table. Rae slid over to make room for him.

"Morning, Daddy!" She jumped onto the bench to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Morning," Dean mumbled, accepting the kiss without comment. He leaned back with his coffee, sipping it gratefully. "So, what's the topic this morning?"

"American mythology," Sam told him.

Dean looked a little more awake. "Yeah? Cool. Learn anything useful?" he asked Rae.

"You kill werewolves by shooting a silver bullet into their hearts. Cut off vampire heads. Salt and burn the bones of ghosts. And for zombies you gotta do something with meating a gravebed, whatever that is."

Dean's eyes widened. "What? Meeting the gravebed?"

Sam cleared his throat. "I believe I said stake to the gravebed."

"Right. Steak is meat." Rae said with a curt nod. "So how does the meat kill it?"

Dean chuckled into his coffee. "She's got you there, Sam. How does the meat kill it? I want to hear this."

The waitress drifted back by. "Excuse me. That your girl?" She pointed out Rae.

"Yeah, why?" Dean sounded defensive.

"Because I caught this guy here filling her head with all kinds of crazy stuff." Her hands were firmly planted on her hips as she glared down Sam.

"Don't I know it! But my brother absolutely insists that his niece learns silly things like reading, writing, math. I keep telling him, all she needs to know is how to stake a zombie to its gravebed, and we're gold." Dean flashed his winning smile at the waitress.

"Oh," she took a step back, "so you already know."

Dean nodded. "And I really don't appreciate people who stick their noses in other people's families. So why don't you just go rustle up some pancakes for me and back the hell off." The last few words were in a low, dangerous voice and Dean's face could have been chiseled from ice. He glared her down until she turned away and made for the kitchen.

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath, lifting his coffee.

"Dean!" Sam admonished, nodding violently at Rae.

"Well, she is one," Rae told Sam.

Sam's jaw dropped. "What did you say?"

"Dad's right. She is a bitch." Rae picked up her bacon, which hung limply over her fist. "And this is just gross."

"I'll take care of it when the bitch comes back," Dean promised, sipping his coffee with one hand and patting Rae's knee with the other. "She better not think she's getting a tip."

Sam buried his face in his hands. "I don't know if I can handle two of you," he mumbled through his fingers.

"Ha!" Dean said. "I have two Sammies. Top that."

"I have to live with TWO MEN." Rae slammed her hand confidently down on the table, "I win!"

Sam and Dean exchanged a long look. They nodded to reach other. "She wins."

"So," Dean's eyes cut away to look for their waitress again, "any news on that Topeka thing?"

Sam shook his head. "It's been pretty quiet since last month, which indicates it may be a real werewolf. Full moon is in three nights."

Dean nodded. "Plenty of time. We can leave after breakfast. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Bobby called yesterday."

"Yeah?" Sam cut into his sausage.

"Rae's books have arrived. Two years worth of homeschooling." Dean glanced over at her.

Rae was rolling her eyes. "Whatever."

Dean chuckled. "That's my girl." Rae beamed at him.

"Hey, Darling!" Dean shouted at another waitress. She approached the table with a broad smile. "Looks like our waitress disappeared, can you help us? I'm looking for some pancakes and my kid would appreciate some cooked bacon." Dean grinned at her, giving her a little wink.

"Sure thing, sweetie." As she strode away, Dean turned to watch the way her rear end swayed back and forth.

"Why do you do that?" Rae asked.

"Do what?" Dean asked, still watching the waitress.

"Watch girl butts?"

Dean spun around, startled, as Sam choked on his egg and sausage. Sam gasped for breath until Dean got up and pounded him on the back.

"How about we worry about throwing meat on zombies, instead?" Dean asked, retaking his seat.

"Yeah. Uncle Sam, how does that work?" Rae turned her attention back to her favorite uncle.

"Yeah, Uncle Sam. How does that work?" Dean smirked over his coffee.

Yeah, Sam reflected, this was going to be lots of fun. He was not sure exactly how the hunting was going to work, but if one grown man could manage it with two boys, then two grown men should be able to manage with one girl. He hoped.

To be concluded…