December, 1867

"Merry Christmas!" Ellie greets warmly when she hears footsteps coming down from the second floor. She doesn't care which brother it is, as long as she gets to surprise one of them.

"'Mornin'," Dean groggily answers as he comes around the corner, wiping his eyes and then patting down his bed-crazy hair. "Ya alright?" he as to ask when he catches the tired look in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine," she brushes aside his worry. She knows she looks tired. "I just got up real early to get goin' on this fine day."

When he finally catches sight of the kitchen and sitting room he stops in his track. "What the heck ya do?"

"I made Christmas!" Ellie grins warmly as she slices up the coffee cake she baked, one of Dean's favorites, for breakfast.

"Ya celebrate Christmas?" he questions her, never having seen such a thing. "Ain't that just some Pagan stuff?"

"What!? No, hush!" Ellie says with upset. "This is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, Dean. This is not Pagan. This is good Christian beliefs."

"My daddy used ta say it Pagan."

"Well my daddy used ta tell me about Santa Clause so don't you go ruinin' this for me," she warns seriously, wagging her finger at him. "It's a good day, the Lord was born, and I feel like we need to cheer up 'round here now that we're confined in one small spot for winter. We need ta celebrate."

Her cheery outlook and happy disposition is near shocking. She's been off a bit since he paid her back in August. Before then they were friends, life being easy and light when around her. When he paid her and told her he found her a way home everything changed. She made it clear through her frequent retreats to her room during free time and her lack of speaking to him. But not right now. She's different. She's smiling and she looks like the woman he knew over the summer. He hates to admit it even to himself but he missed her terribly.

"Celebrate, huh?" Dean answers back skeptically.

"Uh-huh."

"Me an' Sam, we ain't done that too much."

"You boys haven't celebrated Christmas before?" she asks, looking at him with something sad in her expression.

"Nah," Dean answers, walking around her to grab his usual tin mug and pour himself the coffee he can smell is already brewed. "Not too common 'round here."

"What a shame," Ellie laments and watches him plop into a seat at the table heavily, sleep still in his eyes. "I've never skipped a Christmas in my life. This may be the first time I'm not home to for it but I don't care a continental about that. Momma or no momma, I'mma carry on like always even without her."

"That include lots 'a food?" he asks her, a small ounce of hope in his voice as he looks down into his coffee.

"I'm not too sure 'lots' is the right word for it," she laughs and walks to him with his plate. She places it in front of him, a massive slice of coffee cake and nothing else on the plate. She normally tries to get fruit in his diet if they could manage to get some that week or maybe even some vegetable despite how much he hates those things. But not today. "I promise. You and Sam will be a happy men today."

He looks up at her, her smile just so warm, and his resolve to stay strong and keep her at arm's length gets challenged once more.

Dean just smiles in return before Ellie turns back around to the stove, a place he assumes she'll be at a lot that day just to ensure her bosses are happy. She cares. He hates when she reminds him of that so clearly.

"Aren't ya'll gonna ask about those socks of yours?" Ellie finally asks after half a day of waiting for them to notice. After breakfast the men went to care quickly for the animals out back and retrieve Cass for Ellie. She insisted that the dog spend the day warm and in the presence of his family for Christmas. She hates that they keep him out back and she's slowly trying her damnedest to get his new place to be in the house like she wants.

"Huh," Sam mentions, looking up from his book to see that one of his socks is tacked to the wooden mantle on one side, Dean's on the other, and they're filled with something. "Look at that."

"Ya'll are impossible," Ellie laughs to herself as Sam marks his book and sets it aside, Dean dropping his piece of wood and knife he's been whittling with.

"What did ya do?" Dean asks, his face slightly concerned.

"I didn't do anything," she says with fake innocence. "Santa musta come right down that chimney and left two good boys their gifts." She gives him a wide eyed grin of excitement.

"Ya shouldn't've done that," he denies instantly, slightly upset. "Ya shouldn't be spendin' yer hard earned money on us."

Ellie scoffs at him. "You spend your hard earned money on me, don't ya?" she points out as that's their actual agreement. She works for them and they pay her money.

"She makes a good point there," Sam smiles at her while pulling Dean's sock off the mantle.

"No she don't," Dean says right back. "She supposed to be savin' ta git on home in some months."

"I've got plenty to get me home," Ellie answers back, her face dropped to something serious now as he's bordering on insulting her. "I chose to use some of my hard earnings ta give you both a good day… which I believe you deserve. Button that lip of yours and take those gifts gracefully before I smack ya upside the head for being downright rude."

Things may not have been as easy with them as of late but Ellie is still not at all afraid to correct him when he's more than out of line. He knows she'd march right over to him from her rocking chair in the corner with Cass under her legs and do just as she threatened.

Dean glares at her until Sam interrupts him.

"Here," Sam says, handing Dean his sock. "Ya might wanna do what she says 'cause she right as rain will do what she promises."

Dean snatches the sock and clenches his jaw with annoyance. He hates the idea of her spending her money on him… especially when it never occurred to him to go as far as spend money on her. He's never done this whole Christmas thing before. "Don't be expectin' nothin' in return. Ya didn't tell us you were doin' gifts."

"That is not what this is about," Ellie short of scolds him. "This is about me wanting ta say thank you for all ya'll have done for me. Every day you give me food to cook and a bed ta sleep in when I don't have a dang thing else in this world. You give me plenty every day. Now, let me give ya what little I can manage on a day that means a whole lot to me. And I ain't gonna have this conversation again."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Dean stares at her for a moment, his face finally softening when he realizes how much this meant to her. Damn it, why does she have to be so kind and always have an answer for his challenges? It's frustrating.

"Aw, Ellie," Sam cuts into Dean's thoughts. "This here is great." He smiles up at her while holding up a small bound book of poetry as the two had bonded over their love for the art through the months.

"It's got that one I remembered from being a kid I was telling you about."

"The Yeats one ya momma used to read ya?" Sam says with wide eyes right before looking down at the pocket-sized book with small text, flipping through it.

"Yeah." Ellie grins wide as she knows Sam was excited to read this one.

"I been wantin' ta read that ever since ya spoke 'bout it."

"I know," she says with pride. "And ya better keep digging in that sock. You aren't done yet."

Sam looks to her with shock and reaches back into the sock and pulls out a small stack of parchment paper strung together by hand with red threading.

"I expect you to get going on some poetry of your own now," Ellie grins with sheer excitement. They discussed how Sam had always wanted to try his hand at writing poetry but never had the guts or the drive to actually try. "No excuses."

"Yes ma'am," Sam grins wide at her in promise.

"And I got an ink well for ya," she explains. "It just didn't fit in your sock."

"Ellie, wow," Sam gets up quickly and rushes over to her. "This was too much an' just so nice. Thank ya so much." He leans down and gives her a hug where she sits in her rocking chair.

"You're very welcome, Sam," Ellie responds. "You've been real good company and a real good friend. If I coulda gotten you more… I woulda."

"This is more 'an enough," Sam assures her and backs away, huffing a laugh of amusement. "I just… thanks."

Ellie only smiles at him as he retakes his seat by the roaring fireplace, ready to start reading his new book. She then turns her attention to Dean as he's observing Sam and his happiness despite his own sock being full in his lap. "Your turn, Dean." The moment she says that she erupts in a coughing fit.

"Ellie, ya alright?" Dean asks her, eyes glued to her and alarm all over his face.

Ellie holds her hand out to stop him when he starts to get up and shakes her head no. "I'm fine," she says and coughs a couple more times. "I'm just fine." Her coughing calms down and she clears her throat. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Ya sick, ain't ya?" Dean says, knowing he was right when he saw her first thing in the morning. She looked tired, eyes bleary, and she never looks less than bright and well even first thing with dawn.

"Oh, just a touch of coryza or something. Don't get all up in arms."

"Ellie… ya sure ya alright?" Dean questions, looking at her while only assuming she's lying. There's something in him nagging him and telling him she's lying.

"I am. Now sit and open up that sock there," she grins, not ready to ruin a good day with a cough.

He glances at her suspiciously before looking down, silently praying for whatever it is in that sock to be cheap and typical… not as close to the heart as Sam's. He reaches in and pulls out the first thing he feels.

"What's this?" Dean asks, a small brick shaped item wrapped in paper and twine in his hand.

"How about ya open it?" she says impatiently with his far too cautious ways.

Pulling the twine off and unraveling the paper he looks at the treasure in it.

"It's chocolate," she says to him, in case he didn't know already. "My momma gave me chocolate every Christmas in my sock because it's just the greatest treat in the world. Since you like food so much, and ya got a sweet tooth, I figured you'd love it too."

"Huh," Dean says, looking it over. "I ain't never had chocolate 'fore."

"Well then I'mma just let you decide how ya wanna eat it."

"Ya can't just eat it?"

"Oh no," Ellie shakes her head. "It's far too bitter since that's close to pure. I can make something with it, like hot cocoa with milk or maybe I can bake something for ya with it. You just let me know what ya think and I'll whip it up."

Dean huffs a laugh and looks back down at the dark brown bar. Chocolate. How about that?

"Keep going," Ellie grins and gets his focus back.

Dean rewraps the sweet and sets it aside, reaching for another gift. His hand wraps around something and when he pulls it out he's shocked at what he sees. The smooth, polished wooden handle sits perfectly in his palm and when he opens the two blades tucked into it one at a time he sits in awe. A pocket knife. He told her he wanted one back in the summer when he had to walk all the way back into the house every time he needed a knife out in the field. He said someday he's going to suck it up and buy a pocket knife but he never did.

"Figured you never were gonna get yerself one and I would have to do it for ya," Ellie says, nervous look in place.

"I, uh…" Dean tries to say something but he can't. He's just too touched by the well thought out gift. And his ability to speak disappears a little more when he looks over the handle. His initials are carved into it beautifully.

Ellie smirks to herself when he clears his throat with difficulty. She knows he's not the most emotional man, feeling awkward when his feelings come into play. She's respected that, knowing that a lack of female role model would do that to anyone. But seeing him squirm is quite fun.

"I think you're trying to say thank you," Ellie slightly taunts.

"How much ya go spendin' on this?" Dean questions, sounding almost fatherly.

"Boy… you are possibly the most gracious man alive, Dean Winchester," Ellie says with pure sarcasm.

"I just feel funny 'bout ya spending money on me. I worry 'bout ya… is all."

"You worry about me?" she questions, a very overjoyed smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah…" Dean says when he realizes what he said. "'Bout ya getting home and bein' able ta afford things ya need. I don't want ya spendin' that on me an' Sam."

"Speak for yerself," Sam comments as he looks through his book.

"It's my money," Ellie reminds him. "I used it how I wanted and it made me happy to do it. There's nothing you can do about it now so might as well say thank you and get right on over it."

The way she looks at him reminds him of just how stubborn and independent she can be… and how much he admires that about her.

"Thank ya very much, El," Dean says with a small smile before folding the knife back up and pocketing it right where he knows he'll always keep it. "It was mighty thoughtful 'a ya."

"You're very welcome, Dean," Ellie smiles wider than wide to hear him use her nickname that only he ever uses. It's been rare since he paid her that he's used it. She's missed it, honestly. "And check that sock one more time."

"Ellie…" Dean start to get upset. She spent too much already.

"It's a free, homemade gift. Calm yourself right down."

Dean closes his mouth and reaches in. He pulls out a piece of paper with a hand written note on it.

"Read it," she smirks with excitement.

Dean looks annoyed, sighs heavily, and gives it a go. "I.O.U. H-h-hoe-me… home-mad…"

"Homemade," Ellie corrects his pronunciation, sitting up taller when he takes too long to read the one word. Her eyebrows knit together with concern. He's never read anything aloud in her presence before.

"Pi-pie… w-w-hen…"

"Homemade pie when you want," Ellie helps him out. "I figure you give me a day's heads up and I'mma make a pie for ya… whatever you want that's in season. I noticed pie was your favorite of what I make for dessert."

"It is," Dean nods, looking at her and surprised by her ability to read him. "I love pie."

"Well ya got one all to yourself when you're ready for it."

"Thank ya, Ellie," he says, eyes renewed and looking a lot like they did in the summer. He's melting for her again, letting the tough shield slip away a little bit.

"Um, Dean… ah, has anybody ever taught you to read properly?" Ellie questions the man in his later twenties that she's been living with for months. She'd never seen him read a word before now, always assuming it wasn't something he enjoyed, and now that she has she worries that he's lacking in ability.

His face drops with embarrassment. "Sam here done tried when we were younger."

"What happened with that?" Ellie looks to Sam questioningly.

"Dean got all up in a fit when it wasn't easy," Sam explains. "Every time we sat and tried ta get some learnin' done he'd get mad and quit on the first word he had difficulties wit."

"I ain't none too patient sometimes," Dean says, rubbing the back of his neck when he blushes just a bit. "'Specially when it my younger brother tryin' ta teach me. That ain't right."

"What ain't right was daddy not lettin' you go ta school wit me," Sam points out to him. "It wasn't right that I had ta be the one ta teach ya instead 'a some schoolmarm like it's supposed ta be."

"Dad needed help…"

"Ya needed ta learn," Ellie cuts in, voice gentle. "It's your right to get an education."

"Ya weren't there, Ellie," Dean reminds her that she has no place commenting. "Ya don't know 'bout it."

"You're right. I'm sorry." She looks down at her hands clasped in her lap. "It's not right of me to speak on the issue."

Dean nods and accepts her apology.

"But I'd like to help you."

He looks at her with surprise. "Ya wanna teach me ta read good?"

"Would love to," Ellie grins that warm, comforting smile that she has that he adores seeing. "I wanted to be a schoolmarm, didn't I? Now I can be."

"Ya gonna be my teacher?" Dean says with a little disbelief.

"If'n you'll have me." She gives him one very hopeful look, biting her bottom lip with the idea of helping him the best way she knows how.

"That's a good idea, Dean," Sam adds in his two cents. "She'll be patient wit ya, make ya stay put longer 'an I ever could."

Dean pauses a moment. "Will ya let me think it over? 'Cause I'mma bit old ta be getting' my first schoolmarm."

"Dean, all old dogs can learn new tricks," she assures him and leans down to pet Cass on the head. "Didn't this here dog prove that to you?"

"That he might've," Dean agrees, still shocked by Cass' improvement with her around.

"So you let me know what ya decide," Ellie grins. "And I hope you say a big ol' yes."

"Alright," Dean says, letting her know he'll seriously think it all over.

Dean sighs and looks back down at the note. He knows certain words by sight; seed, general, store, Meeker's, inn… and sounding things out isn't completely foreign. But he really couldn't pick up a book and enjoy it. Sam always looked so happy reading and now that Ellie lives there she always does too. Maybe there's something to this reading well thing.

"But before ya start makin' me a smart man… ya gonna make me a full one," Dean tells her, standing up and handing back the I.O.U. right away. "Ya gonna make me a pie."

"Save that," Ellie pushes the paper back to him. "Already done for today. Dried apple pie ready to be baked. Save that for another day. I'll be here a bit longer."

Dean nods and pockets the note for another time, trying to remember that this claim needs to be called in far before April.

Maybe it was the kind gifts she gave him. Or possibly the fact that she's been going out of her way to give them this celebration they've never experienced before. More likely, it's the way she's smiled all morning, the genuine one that she isn't faking. She's looks beautiful and he's forgotten about how much he loves seeing that bright, wide grin on her pretty face while denying his predilections towards her these past months.

Whatever it is, Dean feels compelled to be near her today. He's been able to deny this pull to her he experiences every day for the past few months but something in him is breaking with her generosity and their close quarters in the winter. With the biting cold and snow on the ground, getting away by going outside isn't an option. It's been torture to be so near her and ignore his want to be her friend.

"Howdy," Dean quietly says as he walks into the kitchen area, his demeanor hesitant with his lack of easy conversation with her.

"Oh, uh," Ellie turns to look at him walk behind her. "Howdy… Dean." She forces a smile when she has no idea what he's doing. Usually he putters about the house silently, never speaking a word to her, or at least since August's harvest he has.

"How ya… how ya doin' in here?" Dean asks, taking his half full glass of whiskey to the shelf where he keeps a bottle.

"Going well enough," she tells him as she places a batter filled pan into the wood stove to bake. "Got a chicken Sam butchered the other day ready to cook. And we're having gold cake for dessert. I just gotta get some preserves from the root cellar to go wit it."

"Thought you said pie?"

"I mighta made both… since you love dessert so much…." She ducks her head, blushing a little at the confession that she did something purely for him.

"Sounds lovely," Dean grins to her as he freshens up his drink.

Ellie watches with confusion as Dean pours more whiskey into his half-full glass. He didn't need a refill yet. He came in for no reason other than to speak with her. Ellie turns back to the oven before grinning wide over the thought.

"So… whacha gonna make me wit chocolate?" Dean asks, leaning his shoulder against the wall by the stove, trying to remain casual as he watches her work.

"Whatcha want?" Ellie smiles with excitement just to have any ounce of easy conversation about anything at all with him.

"Whacha suggest?" he says right back, sipping his whiskey while looking right at her.

"Hmm," Ellie thinks it over. "I could do some hot chocolates. We got some milk left from all the baking I did… or, oh! I could just melt it down, mix it with some sugar and cream… make chocolate sauce for that gold cake. Oh my gosh, that's it! You're gonna love it!"

"Yeah?" Dean asks, smiling back at her with her childlike excitement.

"Yes! Oh, this will be so good you're never gonna wanna get rid of me!" she laughs slightly and turns away, reaching for the cupboard with the sack of sugar as she hides away the shock on her face for saying such a statement. Why did she have to let that one slip on such a good day?

Dean just huffs an awkward laugh when he doesn't know what else to do. As she starts to put everything together he backs away a step and looks around the room feeling odd. He occupies himself with checking out her decorative touches. Pinecones and evergreen on the mantle in the room adjoining the kitchen, the socks over the fireplace, and one oddly placed bundle of green leaves and white berries above the stove where Ellie is working.

"What's that up there?" Dean questions her.

"What?" she asks, following his eye line to the ceiling. "Oh! You've never seen mistletoe before!?"

"That plant we got out by the barn?"

"Yessum. It's a Christmas tradition. My momma always put one bunch over the kitchen back home as her little joke on Christmas."

"I don't get it," Dean tells her with a small smile in the corners of his lips, seeing her happiness.

"It was like she was saying to kiss her because she was cooking people sweets all day. She would tell every one of us that passed her to kiss the cook."

"Kiss?" he wonders with surprise. "Why kiss?"

"That's what you do under mistletoe. You gotta kiss the person under it."

Dean's eyes widen with that idea as he stands next to her while she's under the mistletoe. She can see the connotation she just made immediately.

"I mean, it was more a way to remind me of home than anything," she nervously excuses. "I'm not saying you gotta… ya know, kiss me or anything." She's blushing furiously now. "It's just a silly tradition."

She laughs with pure awkwardness but before Dean knows what he's doing he's leaning forward. Without stepping too far into her space he presses his lips to hers. There's nothing lustful or overdone about it. Just a simple, sweet kiss that lasts all of two seconds before he pulls back and just stares at her with wide-eyed surprise, her brown eyes doing the same right back.

Neither move for a solid minute.

"I'm mighty sorry fer that," Dean says with an innocence that just melts her heart. "That was wrong 'a me… I think…"

"No!" Ellie immediately stops him, stepping forward and pressing her hands to his chest to stop his worried. "You just followed the rules of Christmas. No harm's been done, Dean."

She grins at him, looking up with a warm smile. That icy, hardened wall he built around his heart to keep her out starts to melt away.

"Ha," Ellie huffs a nervous laugh and pulls her hands away from him. She then turns back to the stove for a moment, biting her bottom lip with how much her stomach just fluttered with excitement. "Um, if you have that chocolate I can get to work with it."

"Yeah… uh, I'll go get that." Dean swallows the fear of whatever it is he felt just then down.

"Thank you," she turns and glances at him.

"Not at all," he responds and leaves the room. The second he leaves Ellie has to fight the girlish giggle she has in her throat, the moment just too adorable and just so wonderful. And for the first time she doesn't feel bad about it.

After a massive dinner with far too much food and a night of whiskey and good company, Ellie is exhausted. She knows she must be coming down with a cold. She's been warm for a few days and the cough keeps showing up now and then. And now, after cooking all day, she's ready for sleep.

"If ya'll don't mind I think I'll turn in for the night," she says to the two men as she stands up from her rocking chair, Cass standing immediately from his place on the floor next to her. He hasn't left her side all day.

"Already?" Sam asks, looking up from his book she gave him as he's sitting by the warm fire.

"Yessum. I'm mighty tired from all the excitement of the day," she laughs a little. "Need to get some rest before tomorrow."

"Well, alright," Dean says, a little disappointed. He was enjoying her company.

"Good night, men," she smiles warmly and turns to head to her room. Cass follows her as always and this time she lets him stay in the house. She doesn't ask for permission, knowing they'd just send him on his way to the barn. Her plan is to make them see he's a good dog that should stay inside with them.

Once she closes her bedroom door she gets ready to sleep and Cass lays across the foot of her bed, as if he's always done this.

"Good night, Cass," she scratches behind his ear before coughing a few more times and laying down. "Merry Christmas."