Summary: Delaney Mannings is dropped off with the Winchesters a few months after her father's death. She stays with them for two years and they become close. What happens when she has to go? What happens when she comes back?
Chapter 13: Lullaby
The girls entered the kitchen where Sam and Dean were already eating away.
Ariadne occupied the kitchen sink so Delaney had to go the small restroom.
She washed her hands then made her way to the kitchen again, but stopped abruptly. On Bobby's wall was a picture of a sweet-looking beautiful lady. Delaney assumed it was his wife. She had never seen a picture of her until then. She stared at it closely and felt her heart clench in pain.
Her Uncle Bobby had lost his dear wife to something so horrible.
It infuriated her so deeply that those Sons-a-bitches had taken the biggest thing in Bobby's life. The same went for John. She'd never heard either of them talk about them. The only time she had ever heard anything from John about his wife was all those six years ago when she had first met him
It had taken Delaney a while to realize that maybe every time John looked at her, he would think of her name, then her middle name and he would be engulfed by pain.
And then it hit her. It hit her so hard she lost her breath and had to lean against the other wall in the hall.
She was hurting them. All of them. She was bad for them.
John had no other option but to see his Mary in her. In her face and eyes. Bobby surely spent so much time worrying about her.
Dean… she had hurt him and Sam the most.
She had always felt that she was the one to fix them and that that was her job. To take care of them and love them.
But, maybe the whole time she was hurting them.
How could she have come back? She had been spot on before. She had had no right to come back and to bring back the pain. And she knew she was probably going to hurt them again. It wasn't that she was trying to value herself for someone who could have such a huge impact on them. But, she knew she was capable of hurting them since she had done it before.
Maybe they just weren't good for each other? They just ended up hurt. Both sides.
Delaney tried to tell herself that she was being stupid. That was what love was. Pain and love. It came in a package.
It wasn't like they were always depressed and in pain, anyway.
No, she needed to relax.
She loved Bobby, John, Sam and Dean and they loved her.
No big deal. Everything is fine.
"Laney! Did you fall in the toilet?" Dean shouted.
"No, Dean. I'm not six, jeesh." She walked to the little kitchen.
"Ok, children. This is mostly directed at Delaney. One of my old friends called and he said that there is a witch at a town not too far away. She needs to be taken care of. So, I thought –"
"Are you letting me go on a hunt?" Delaney sprang up out of her chair with a mouth full of burger. Her earlier worries and thoughts were forgotten.
"Yes, but only to find the hex bags at her latest victim's houses."Bobby warned.
"What about the rest of us?" Dean mumbled.
"You will go too. But, that isn't until tomorrow." Bobby gestured for Delaney to sit back down.
"I'll take it." Delaney smiled. They all finished eating and Delaney headed upstairs to take a shower.
She dragged her pack up the stairs feeling too lazy to pick it up and carry it, and walked into the bathroom.
She closed the door behind her and turned on the shower. She undressed slowly and tested out the water temperature on her leg. Just right.
She stepped on and pulled the curtain closed behind her.
She stood there under the warm water for a moment, sighing in pleasure at the warm feel of comfort coming from the water.
The peace only lasted a few seconds. There was some very loud banging on the restroom door and Delaney sighed.
"I'm taking a shower. I'll be out in a bit. There's another restroom downstairs." Delaney called then bent down to grab the shampoo from the shower-place floor. She began to knead it into her hair as she spat out the running shampoo.
She scrubbed her body quickly and turned the water off. She wrapped the towel around her as she heard more knocking.
"I'm almost done!" Delaney pulled out her hairbrush and began to brush her hair. There was more knocking.
"I swear if it's you, Dean." Delaney slammed down her brush on the sink and threw the door open.
"Oh!" Delaney jumped when she saw a tall brown-haired brown-eyed guy almost man standing there.
"Oh. Sorry." The guy apologized then looked at her in the towel. Delaney instantly felt uncomfortable.
"I-I'm already done." Delaney picked up her pack and grabbed her brush. She almost forgot her dirty clothes. She sidestepped the guy and walked down the hall to her room. She closed the door softly behind her and dropped her stuff on her bed.
She knew that had been Eli since he looked around his twenties.
Woah, awkward.
Delaney made sure her door had the lock on then let her towel slip off and quickly got dressed.
"Delaney!" Sam called from the other side of the closed door.
Delaney jumped then sighed.
She opened the door and stood there staring at Sam.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Ariadne's brothers are here." Sam warned.
"Yeah, I know. Eli kind of kept on banging at the restroom door while I was taking a shower. Where's Bobby?" Delaney asked.
"He went down to town for some groceries. He had a feeling he was going to need some more food." Sam smiled softly. Delaney returned it then shuffled her feet uncomfortably. She wanted to tell him everything that she was feeling; she wanted to talk to him. Like when they were younger. But, Sam had matured and she wasn't so sure the easiness of their feely talk was still there.
"What's wrong, Laney?" Sam stared at her closely.
"Nothing." She decided not to take the chance. "I'm just sleepy. Goodnight, Sammy." She kissed him on the cheek and noticed she almost had to tiptoe.
"Wait." Sam grabbed the door as she was closing it.
"What?" Delaney asked.
"I just… you can talk to me, Laney." Sam stared at her with his soft green-hazel eyes. He looked so deeply into her with those eyes. From the very first time his eyes saw everything.
"I know it's been awhile and we've all grown. We're not kids anymore and in some sense we never were but… I love you, Laney. You're one of the biggest things in my life. I hate it when something's bothering you and… that thing where we could tell each other anything… it isn't gone. At least not for me." Sam told her quietly.
Once again Sam knew what she was thinking. She couldn't believe she had decided not to tell him. She couldn't believe that had changed. She couldn't let it change.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I just... thought that… come one." She took a hold of his hand and pulled him inside her room. She hadn't noticed the two single beds. She had forgotten she was going to share a room with Ariadne. Oh, whatever. She wouldn't mind.
Delaney led Sam to the bed and sat him down. She sat next to him, facing him, her legs crossed.
"I don't know what to say. Just a moment ago I as full of all this crap I wanted to say. I don't know, Sam." She shook her head looking away.
"How about you tell me about those four years?" Sam reached for her hands and when she noticed this she grabbed his instantly and furiously. Desperately, somehow, she wanted it to feel like whenever it had when they were younger. She wanted it to be the same as before. Before the fight. Before they had grown up. She knew that something had changed. Maybe even something small but something had. She knew Sam was right. They had changed.
"I'm sorry I'm making you be my psychologist or something." Delaney chuckled.
"It's okay. I'm your brother." He answered.
"Well… nothing much really. I probably made it seem like it was so excruciating. I hated it. But not because she was so annoying and clingy. She was cold and distant. She was… different. Not my mom. And… that was all that I had wanted. My mom. I missed you guys more and more every second. It was so long before I got the guts to leave. And even then, a small part of me didn't want to. I kept on expecting her to just… I don't know… remember? If that even makes sense."
"When I was small, before my dad died, I lived with my mom in this small little house at the edge of some woods. Almost like a cottage. It was secluded, isolated. There were no neighbors or nothin' but I lived there with my mom. My dad popped in every once in awhile but it was never during the day. I just always woke up in the morning and he was there eating breakfast. I didn't know about all this crap until I was, at most… seven. Then, I understood where it was that he was going.
"Anyway, while my dad was gone me and my mom always did these little projects together. Before I had to worry about everything else. Sometimes we would plant thing, sometimes we would sew, and sometimes we would just spend the whole day baking cookies from scratch. There were always so many cookies the next day and I always couldn't help but hope my dad would come back in time for some but they disappeared before.
"What I'm trying to say is… I have so many memories of my mom. Memories of when she was happy and caring. When she was…mom. And… I can't understand what's wrong with her. I look at her and I don't see my mom. She looks older and more tired and… I just can't see her anymore." Delaney paused. She hadn't explained this much to anyone. Her eyes were beginning to sting.
"I hated her, Sam. You have no idea what that did to me. I-I just hated her. But, at the same time I missed her and… I was scared of her. For something that you've had, to be taken away so quickly, to just be gone… It's… It's… she's just gone. And… I don't understand why! I don't know what happened to her! I don't know what's wrong! And I miss her!" Delaney burst into tears. Sam instantly placed his arms around her and comforted her.
"I understand, Laney. I miss my mom. It might sound stupid because I never even remember what she was like but I do." Sam whispered.
"It doesn't sound stupid." Delaney muttered her head on his chest.
They were quiet for a long while, Sam just holding her and Delaney holding him.
It was another long while until Sam said that they should go to bed. Delaney didn't answer and Sam shook her softly. She didn't move.
"She's asleep."Sam grinned. He could hear her deep breathing and feel it on his neck.
He pushed her gently back so she was lying down on the bed with only her legs slightly off. Sam stood up slowly and moved her legs completely onto the bed. He looked around the room for a blanket and found one. He covered her with it and was about to leave when she called his name.
"Sam?" She mumbled softly.
"Yeah?" Sam turned to the bed.
"Can you stay with me?" She asked.
"Um…yeah." He walked back to the bed and covered himself with the blanket, next to her. He kicked off hi shoes and turned to her.
"I remember when you would ask me to stay with you." Delaney smiled softly.
"Yeah. And you always stayed." Sam smiled back.
"Goodnight, Sammy." Delaney yawned.
"Goodnight, Laney." Sam whispered.
Delaney faced the other way and they both fell asleep.
52 reviews! Eeeep! Thank you so much you guys!
First of all, Dean'sbbygirl, that is totally fine. Save your request. Use it when you want.;)
BethWinchester97, I like to say thank you to the people/fans that take the time to read my story and review it and alert it. No way should you be saying thank you to me, girl! I should be thanking you! Thank you. Sincerely. :)
Second of all, the whole Dean/ Delaney hasn't been decided yet. I know there is going to be some grazing that subject but... I'm not sure if it's going to work out or not.
Third of all, I decided who the next surprise is for! PushUpDasies!
The choices are the same ones that I gave the awesome person that is Dean'sbbygirl. I think it's in my note from the last chapter.
And last of all... Thanks to PushUpdasies, Dean'sbbygirl, BethWinchester97, namida1407, DeanWinchesterluvr91, Vicki219, Jay9529, Princess-with-the-pen928, and Deansgirl1!
I love you guys so much and sorry I haven't been updating as much. I've been making Tamales! Yummm!;)
~Maritza