AN: Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic time. Thank you for your patience, I truly am sorry that I took so long to post this chapter, but believe me I have been very busy.
This is a nice light chapter. The next couple of chapters will be light, because after that it all comes crashing down and things will get very, very angsty.
Toodles, AT.
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Sam watched his cousin closely. She looked ready, braced for whatever was coming though the weariness had started to show on her face. He took a deep breath, picked up a card, and read it for her; his tone was steady and his words measured and deliberate.
"In what year did Julius Caesar defeat Pompey in Pharsalus?"
Isabel stared at Sam blankly across the kitchen table. He might as well have spoken to her in Japanese.
"Pass" She said finally.
"For the eighth time, Isabel, you can't pass" He said with a sigh "It's your turn, you have to answer the question"
"Sam, I don't have the foggiest idea what you just asked me"
"Do you want me to read the question again?" He asked her with all the patience he could muster.
"No" She said slowly "I want to stop playing this game"
He frowned again as frustration started to prickle his tone "You're the one who suggested we play Trivial Pursuit"
"No, I suggested we read questions out to Paul to test his memory, not that we all play. I'm not the one who spent two days in coma"
Paul had come home from the hospital early that afternoon, and while he seemed to be doing perfectly well, he was worried that there may have been some lasting damage to his brain that the scans hadn't picked up. He'd sat down and read all his recent papers, his doctorate thesis, he'd started reciting pieces of information that randomly popped into his head, just to prove to himself that he could remember it. Isabel's patience snapped a mere two hours later, but she quickly composed herself and suggested they test Paul's mental prowess with questions from Trivial Pursuit. Sam and Paul agreed eagerly, and minutes later Isabel and a very disgruntled Dean found themselves unwillingly thrown into a marathon game. Not surprisingly, Paul and Sam were kicking their asses.
"You're just pissed because you don't know the answer" Sam said taunting her.
"Of course I don't know the answer, Sam!" She said in exasperation "I don't even know who Phalus is"
"Pharsalus" Paul corrected her, having wisely remained quiet for the conversation between Sam and Isabel. He'd lost count, but it was probably about the seventh such conversation they'd had since they'd started this game "It's an ancient city in Greece"
"Whatever!" Isabel said with a dismissive and irritated wave of her hand "I've never heard of it, and I don't know what happened there, let alone when! What kind of nerd loser would know the answer to that?"
"48 BC" Paul whispered out.
She narrowed her eyes at Paul in annoyance "Big deal Paul, you're a historian…and a showoff! It wasn't even your turn"
"Fine, sorry" Paul said, not even bothering to argue with her. He turned to Sam "Ask her another question"
Sam picked up another card.
"First recorded by the Chordettes in 1954, who wrote the hit Mr. Sandman?" He finished weakly as he looked up at Isabel unsurely.
"Are you for real? I officially forfeit" Isabel said standing up abruptly as she threw her hands in the air and walked over to the refrigerator. She turned briefly to glare at Paul "And I think your big fat freaky brain is fine, Paul"
"Does this mean I don't have to play anymore either?" Dean asked.
He'd hated playing almost as much as Isabel, if not more. But he'd remained quiet for their benefit. If she was getting out of playing though, then he sure as hell was going to too.
"No, you don't" Isabel said "I'm going to start dinner"
"It's only six" Sam said glancing at his watch.
"It's been a long day, Sam" She said pulling out a large leg of lamb and setting it down next to her on the bench "You guys aren't hungry? I can make something later"
"No, that's OK" Paul said and turned to Sam with a twinkle in his eye "We can eat early then play chess after dinner. How about it, Sam?"
"Yeah" Sam said enthusiastically "Cool! You're on"
Isabel looked from Sam and Paul to Dean, a disturbed and disbelieving look on her face.
"Wild, huh?" Dean said dryly as he stood to stand next to her "How do you keep up with him?"
She narrowed her eyes at him "I don't know what's more depressing, being related to you or Sam"
"How about being related to him…" He said looking at Sam before tilting his head in Paul's direction "and sleeping with him?"
She looked up at him and smiled wickedly.
"Well, Dean, that's just earned you the position of kitchen wench for the evening"
"Say what now?"
"You're helping me make dinner" She said pulling out potatoes from the pantry and handing them to him.
"But I'm a guest" He protested weakly.
"You don't really think you're getting out of this, do you?" She asked holding out a potato peeler to him "You are my bitch. Now peel!"
He sighed resignedly and snatched it off her hands "Better than joining the chess club, I guess"
As Sam and Paul finished the game of Trivial Pursuit on their own, Isabel and Dean got dinner underway and an hour later all four were sitting down to eat. During dinner the subject of Sam and Dean's impending departure was brought up again.
"Well, we were thinking of leaving after dinner" Sam said, glancing at Isabel.
"That soon?" She asked looking from Sam to Dean "Why don't you spend the night? Leave tomorrow morning, nice and refreshed"
Dean shrugged as he set down his knife and fork "I'm for it, but Sam's in a hurry to leave and check this thing out in Texas"
"What's happening in Texas?" Asked Paul
"Haunted house" Sam explained.
"Ooh, spooky" Isabel said "Do you want my help?"
"This ghost hangs young girls by the rafters" Sam continued "So, no, there's no way in hell you're coming along!"
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him witheringly.
"Riiiiiiight, well, I wasn't actually asking to come along, but thank you nevertheless for shooting me down ever so gently" She said sarcastically "I just meant if you needed help researching because I think my strength lies in that, rather than actual hunting and whatnot"
"Oh" Sam said sheepishly "Well, before we do anything, first we need to check out if any of these witness accounts are true"
"If they're true?" Isabel asked confused.
"Well, no bodies have actually been recovered"
"Then how do you know he's hanging girls?"
Sam fidgeted in his seat "There have been some stories posted…on the net"
"The net?" Isabel asked with a smirk as she leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms "Like a chat room or something? What's the name?"
Sam hesitated before answering. Dean's mocking posture and challenging smirk were identical to Isabel's. Sam realized that Isabel and Dean were so unconsciously alike in so many ways, that they would have had to have inherited most of their traits from their mothers. He always thought Dean was just like their dad in almost every way, but now he started to think that maybe Dean was a lot like their mom too.
"Hell hound's lair dot com" He said in one breath.
"Let me guess" Dean said "Streaming out live out of mom's basement"
"Probably" Sam admitted with a laugh.
"Geez Sam" Isabel said with a sad shake of her head "Why can't you just look up porn like your brother?"
Dean turned sharply to Isabel "Bite me"
She stood up and started clearing the dishes from the table as she chuckled to herself. She walked over to the bench and opened the dishwasher.
"Interesting" She said pensively over her shoulder "You didn't actually deny it…hmmm"
Dean cleared the rest of the dishes for her, putting them in the sink as Isabel started loading the dishwasher.
"I've seen that box you keep in the linen closet" He said smirking "So if I were you, I'd be a little more careful about throwing comments like that around"
She gasped and looked up at him. Her eyes darted nervously around the kitchen. Paul had stepped out but Sam was still sitting there, an almost inaudible groan escaping his lips as he took another swig from his wine glass.
"Those...those are…Halloween costumes!" She stammered defensively as her face turned red in mortified embarrassment.
Dean laughed loudly at her pathetic attempt to lie to him "Yeah right! Where do you go trick or treating? The playboy mansion?"
"Please stop" Sam pleaded from his seat at the table as Paul brought the chess set in from the lounge room.
"There's nothing wrong with a little harmless role-playing" Isabel continued in her defense.
"I didn't say there was" Dean added with another chuckle and mimicked her comment from earlier "And it's interesting…that you didn't actually deny it…hmmm"
"OK, you've made your point, Dean" She said.
"I have to say, my favorite one would have to be the nurse outfit" Dean continued, this was too funny to let go "Hey Paul, does she usually start with a sponge bath?"
Isabel threw dishtowel at straight at his face as Paul fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair. Through her façade of anger and indignation, Dean could tell she was trying really hard not to laugh.
"You're disgusting" She said "And this conversation is over"
"Thank you" Sam said closing his eyes in relief.
A few minutes of silence went by as Sam and Paul started their game of chess and Isabel and Dean finished cleaning the kitchen. Dean finally broke the silence.
"The French maid one is a very close second" He said, his voice breaking with laughter.
"That's it!" She turned to him angrily "You're dead meat"
In a flurry of motion Isabel chased Dean out of the kitchen, leaving Sam and Paul to watch each other in uncomfortable silence.
"Wanna pretend we didn't hear that?" Paul suggested.
"Done" Sam said with an eager nod.
XXXXXX
It didn't take long the next morning for Sam and Dean to pack. The only reason it took them longer than an hour to leave was because Missouri dropped by quickly to say goodbye, and because Isabel insisted she do their washing before they left.
"Come on boys!" She said as she dumped the dried clothes on the couch and started separating them into a Sam pile and a Dean pile "Get 'em while they're hot!"
"What is it with you and lavender?" Dean asked as he sniffed the freshly done laundry.
"It's supposed to be calming, you ass!"
"Clearly" He said sarcastically.
It was then time to part. Paul walked over to Sam giving him a pile of papers and a few books he though might be useful for their hunts. He started writing his email address on a piece of paper as he told him to call him if he had any questions or needed to contact any experts on anything related to research of supernatural phenomena. As they conversed intensely, Isabel took the opportunity to grab Dean's arm and pulled him into her bedroom. She shut the door behind her.
"OK" Dean said unsurely "What did I do now?"
"What?" Isabel asked confused "No, nothing! I just wanted a minute alone with you"
"Something wrong?"
"It's your birthday in a couple of weeks, and with your dad still…out there somewhere and this thing in Texas now, chances are, I'm going to miss it"
He sighed as understanding set in "No. We'll come straight back, we can…"
"No, you won't" She cut him off "Besides, Missouri's right and…so is your dad. We need to put some distance between us. This…you here…it isn't safe" She said gesturing to Dean and herself.
"Us here isn't safe?" He asked incredulously as irritation surfaced "You realize that if we weren't here Paul would have most likely died?"
"Dean, please" She pleaded "I don't want us to fight today. I'm trying to give you your birthday present"
"Oh" He sad backing off "Sorry, go ahead"
She pulled out an envelope from the dresser and handed it to him.
"Happy birthday"
He opened it silently and pulled out a small plastic card.
"Is this a credit card?" He asked curiously.
She nodded "There's ten thousand dollars on that"
"What?" He asked with wide eyes "I can't accept this!"
"Why not?"
He shook his head vehemently "Money? That's your gift?"
"It's practical, Dean! You need it" She said "You gave me a crucifix and a gun for my birthday"
"But this is ten thousand dollars!"
"Look Dean" She said placing a hand on his arm gently "I've just sold my place in Illinois, I've still got most of the money my parents left me when they died. I've really got nothing to spend it on other than therapy and you. Please, I want you to have it"
"It's a lot of money, Bel"
"I know, but you don't have to spend it if you don't want to. It can be back up, emergency money" She sighed and tried a different approach "I will just sleep easier at night if I know that you have this. Use it on motel rooms, gas, food, tequila…whatever you need while you're on the road"
"Ammo?" He suggested with a smile.
She chuckled "Whatever you need. You can blow it all on lap dances if you want. Please, promise me you'll use it if you need to"
"Promise" He said pulling her in for a hug "Thank you, kitten"
"No, thank you" She said "For everything"
They walked out straight after to find Sam and Paul still talking about contacting each other while on the road. After a few more minutes Isabel managed to tear them from each other. Sam and Isabel hugged tightly as Dean and Paul shook hands.
"Take care of her" Dean said.
"Won't take my eyes off of her" Paul promised.
Dean turned to Isabel as they stood at the door "You call if you need anything or if anything happens"
"Ditto" She said.
They jumped into the car and drove off as Paul put an arm around Isabel and both waved as the Impala disappeared down the street.
Half an hour after they jumped on the interstate, an object on the backseat caught Dean's attention. He reached back with his arm and pulled a black backpack to the front. There was a big red bow on it.
"What's this?" He asked.
"I don't know" Sam said as he opened the pack.
Dean glanced over to the open pack and burst out in laughter. It was full of Snickers bars "Awesome!"
"Your favorite" Sam said pulling two bars out and handing one to Dean.
"Guess what else she gave me?" Dean said taking a mouthful of the candy bar and reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket to pull out the credit card and handed it to Sam.
"A credit card?" Sam said.
"Check out the name"
Sam laughed out loud as he read the name on the card "Chester Morningwood?"
Dean shrugged "I kinda like it"
"It sounds like a porn star name from the seventies" Sam said handing him back the card.
Dean laughed and put on his best Swedish accent "Hello ma'am, I'm here to clean your pool"
They laughed and drove through Kansas into Texas. Their visit to Lawrence, though not as uneventful as they had planned, had considerably lifted their moods after the events of Chicago. It had been great to see their cousin, and even better to see her so happy. A huge load was lifted and now they just needed to kill time before they spoke to their dad again. In the back of Sam's mind there was a nagging feeling that everything had been wrapped up too neatly, but he didn't say anything to Dean. What was that saying? If everything is fine, then you've obviously overlooked something. He shook the feeling off and indulged in the peace of the moment, not knowing that soon, very soon, everything would fall apart.