Chapter 21

Sam

Serra says I should stop keeping track of days. So, nine and a half months together.

We drove to the restaurant hand in hand and Serra talked non-stop about how happy she was about being done with school. I tried to stay actively involved in the conversation, but my mind kept wandering back to how worried Dean was about the stalker. I had a gut feeling that this whole thing was coming to a head.

Serra noticed my absence in the conversation and nodded, staring out the window. "I know," she said simply. "I'm worried too, but she keeps saying it's all okay and that she'll be fine." She turned to stare at me, licking her lips. "It's gonna go down soon, and it's gonna be bad.

"Why do you say that?"

Taking a deep breath and flipping her hair from one side of her head to the other, Serra took a long time answering. "The last time she had a vision like this…" she paused, mulling her words over in her mind. "The last time we went through this was because Dad was about to be killed."

I whipped my head around to face her and lifted my eyebrows into my hairline. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"She told me not to," Serra argued. "Told me that it wasn't the same thing, but I remember it. I remember her having nightmares about it and the vision would replay over and over again." She turned to stare out the window again as we drove, her auburn locks fluttering in the wind occasionally. "Back then, she kept trying to change the outcome, making sure that she drove instead of Dad or not wanting to go to the storm cellar before the tornado…" She took a deep breath. "Nothing she did changed the path. He still ended up dying in the lightning storm and there was nothing we could do about it."

"Holy shit, Serra," I breathed. "You don't think—"

"That she'll die?" She pursed her lips and shrugged. "I don't know. She's playing the hand too close to her chest. The fact that Cas sees more than she does worries me too. Why can't she see the rest of it? How hard does that asshole hit her with that rock?" We drove in silence for a few minutes but then Serra turned towards me, bringing her leg up onto the bench seat in the El Camino. "Sammy, you gotta promise me something," she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Depends," I answered, tilting my head.

"No, no depends," she answered. "My sister is my life. Not even you outrank her."

I stayed silent, wondering if the same was true about Dean. I had my doubts.

"Sam, if it came down between saving me and saving Grace, you save Grace."

I rolled to a stop at the red light and faced her, my mouth open slightly. "Serra—"

"No, Sammy. I mean it," she licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Grace…there's something about her. She's…she special, Sam, and I have this feeling in my gut that she is the one. She's the one that does something big." Her hazel eyes flicked to mine and held my gaze, forcing me to listen. "I know she's more than a psychic. I don't know what, but she is. You have to promise, Sam."

"I can't promise something like that, Serra."

She looked away from me, staring out the windshield with her jaw locked together. We were silent in the car for a long time, and since there was no one else on the road, I sat through the cycle of stoplights, watching it turn green, and then yellow.

Finally, the light cycle came back to red and Serra took a breath. "Fine," she whispered, anger boiling in her voice, right below the surface. "But if she dies and there was something that you could have done to save her over me, I might never forgive you."

"Serra," I whispered, holding out my hand and touching her lightly on the thigh. "Trust me, I would fight to the death to protect the both of you, but you can't ask me to choose your sister over you in a life or death situation. I'm in love with you, not Grace."

We both stared at each other and I realized with a sinking feeling that it was the first time I had ever said it out loud. Slowly, the corners of Serra's lips tugged into a small smile and she took a slow, deep breath through her nose. "It's a big day, huh?" she asked quietly, still unmoving from her place on the seat next to me. "Graduating, confessing love…" She grinned at me and shook her head. "Took you long enough."

I rolled my eyes and pushed my hair out of my face. "You know, you're enough to drive a guy fucking insane."

"You're welcome," she replied, reaching for my face. She kissed me, hard, crashing her lips to mine. Our tongues danced furiously and before I knew it, I had unbuckled my seatbelt and moved over to her side of the seat, still trying to hold down the brake pedal from my position. She shrugged out of her shirt, dropping it behind her and I followed suit, laughing as my hair tickled her chest.

"At least pull over," she whispered as I kissed her neck. "And turn off the fucking car."

I laughed, nodding, and glanced behind me, making sure there was no one around. I pulled my El Camino off to the side of the road, put it in park and pulled the keys, throwing them into the aftermarket cup holder on the floor. I wasted no time returning to her; touching her face and neck, trying to shimmy my way out of my jeans and grinning from ear to ear, so happy that I had found the person that I would spend the rest of my life with.

Serra was breathless as she struggled with her own pants. "They're so tight!" she giggled. I leaned back, pulling with her and we finally succeeded in tugging them down enough to get the job done. I pushed into her without hesitation, holding myself over her and gasping for air as we found a rhythm.

I've had my share of women in the past, but there had never been anyone like Serendipity. She was passionate and focused, giving her whole self over to me. She is what I lived and breathed and I couldn't remember what life was like before I loved her. I remembered with a pang that I once thought the same thing about Jess, but I realized now that Jess was (as much as it hurt to admit it) nothing compared to Serra. The pull I had towards Serra made Jessica feel like an acquaintance and I silently begged forgiveness for leading Jess on.

Serra moved under me and forced me to shut my eyes as she wrapped her leg around mine, drawing me in closer, digging her nails into my back, and biting my neck. I grunted with effort and she moaned, sending my pulse into overdrive as I pinned her to the seat.

"Fuck, Sam—" she cried and wrapped one of her arms around my neck, dragging my face closer to hers to kiss me again. I knew I wouldn't last much longer, so I convinced myself to open my eyes and stare at her, waiting for the inevitable.

Serra's eyebrows were furrowed and her head was tilted back, inviting me closer to bite her neck. As soon as my lips made contact with her pulse point, she caved, sending shockwaves around me, and I crashed into blinding white pleasure.

Breathing hard, I leaned in and kissed her as she moved her face to lock eyes with me. "I love you, Serendipity."

"Don't call me that," she replied, grinning and out of breath.

"I love you, you little bitch."

She collapsed into a fit of giggles and touched my face with her hand, tracing my jaw with her fingertips. She licked her lips and took a deep breath, whispering, "I love you, too, you big jerk."

…

Serra, same day

We pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant and saw that the Impala Dean drove was already parked out front. Dean waited for us at the doors, standing with his arms crossed and his eyebrows up. "What the hell took you so long?"

I grinned at him and waggled my eyebrows. "I was making a man out of your brother," I replied.

"Impossible," Dean answered, glancing at Sammy and throwing him a grin.

Sam hesitated in front of Dean and lowered his voice. "Everything okay at home?"

"Yeah," he growled. "The Chevelle's tarp was pulled back, but it could have been the wind."

"You don't think so."

Dean shrugged, holding the door open for me as he stepped back. "I don't know anymore. Cas is on red alert, though, man. Hasn't said much since we picked him up."

I glanced around and asked, "Where is he?"

"Grace had to pee and he basically escorted her to the bathroom," Dean replied as he held up his hand to the hostess, showing her that there were five people to be seated. "At least we know that he takes his guard dog position seriously."

"Not much he's gonna be able to do, Dean," Sam commented as we followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant. "His grace is still pretty shaky."

"It's better than nothing," he sighed, glancing around as we sat at the large table. "Serra, come with me for a sec before Grace gets back?"

I narrowed my eyes at Dean, but shrugged and followed him as he headed back towards the front door. I was assuming that he was waiting for Grace and Castiel to show them where we were sitting, but he turned and led me towards the kitchen of the restaurant as Grace and Cas walked around the outer edge of the dining room on the opposite side. "What's up, Dean?" I asked, getting suspicious.

He looked slightly sweaty, like his nerves had taken over and I tilted my head expectantly. "I'm just gonna get this out as fast as humanly possible because talking about it makes me want to hurl." I raised my eyebrows, still waiting. Finally, he took a deep breath and his words tumbled out, almost faster than I could keep up with. "I finished the Chevelle and she's getting painted Thursday this week. After she's cured, I want to propose to Grace."

I could feel my eyes widen as I stared at Dean. "You're proposing to my sister with a car?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, frustrated. "No, no, no," he said, holding up his hands. "I have a ring."

"You actually bought a ring?" I could feel the volume of my voice rising in surprise and he whipped his head around to make sure we were out of earshot.

Dean nodded. "Yeah," he sighed. "I bought a ring and I'm scared shitless, and I'm trying to follow all the rules here. I'm going legit, at least as much as I can…and you're the only family she's got, so…"

"So you're asking my permission?"

He made a face and half-shrugged. "If that's what you wanna call it." A grin crept across my face and I stared at him long enough to make him sweat. "Say something, Serra," he finally sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sonuvabitch."

I laughed then, holding my arms out to him for a hug. "You make her happy," I said quietly into his ear as he bent to return my hug. "You keep her safe. That's kinda all I'm looking for." He pulled away and nodded, agreeing to my sentiment. "Dean Winchester: husband. Who would have ever thought?"

Laughing nervously, he backed away and lifted his hand to scratch his neck absentmindedly, still working through his nervousness. "I would have been last in line," he replied, his voice almost a whisper.

I extended my index finger and moved closer to him accusingly. "Let me lay it down once, though," I took a deep breath and lowered my voice. "If you hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do."

He was about to smile jokingly, but saw the look in my eyes and changed his facial expression in the same breath, a slight bit of worry creasing his brow. Dean took a step back and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "I'd never."

I grinned again and glanced over towards the table where Sam, Grace, and Cas were locked into animated conversation. I caught Grace's eye and smiled at her, waving her off, but she threw me a questioning look. "She's suspicious," I muttered. "We get back to the table, we were talking about you finding footprints in the mud near the house."

Dean turned and nodded as he said; "Don't let her touch you for the next few days, huh?"

"For sure." We started walking back towards the table and I added, "How are you keeping this from her?"

"I lie for a living," he replied. "It's gotten to be habitual, even in my thoughts."

I glanced at my future brother-in-law and shook my head. "So she already knows," I commented. "Awesome."

"You don't think I can hide a secret from Grace?"

"If I can't," I sighed, smiling. "You sure as hell can't."