Here's a Christmas gift for ya'll, another chapter! Enjoy!
Bobby stirs the chili cooking on the stove, sticking a finger in and tasting in. He nods his head and turns the burners off, placing the pot of chili on a cool burner. He pulls out a couple of bowls and sets them on the counter before turning around to face the study. He takes in the scene before him. Gracilynn is sitting slouched on the couch, feet on the table in front of her absent-mindedly flipping through the channels. Dean and Sam had taken off to retrieve Adam yesterday morning, it was now nearing dinner time, and she hadn't been doing much more than this since then. Bobby sighs and walks over to the archway separating the kitchen from the study.
"They'll be back soon," Bobby says, trying to reassure her.
"You sure about that," Gracilynn says.
"Yeah," Bobby says.
"Then why do I feel like I'm gonna be one family member short?" Gracilynn asks. Bobby sighs, not knowing what to say to that.
"Dinner's ready," Bobby says quietly.
"I'm not hungry," Gracilynn replies.
"You should eat something. If your daddy finds out you didn't eat…" Bobby says trailing off.
"I'm really tired Uncle Bobby. Think I'm just gonna head to bed," Gracilynn says, turning off the television and quietly heading up the stairs. Bobby sighs.
"You boys had better come back otherwise I don't know what's gonna happen to that girl," Bobby says quietly.
"I'll do it," Dean says to Zachariah.
"You'll do what?" Zachariah asks.
"Michael can where me to prom," Dean clarifies.
"You have to say it," Zachariah replies. Dean clenches his jaw and glares at him for a minute before continuing.
"Yes," Dean says. There is a bright light and the whole room begins to shake.
"Dean!" Sam yells from the floor, shielding his eyes from the bright light. It dissipates and when Sam looks up Dean looks at him. But it's not the Dean he grew up with.
"Michael," Zachariah says in greeting. "Dean" turns and looks at Zachariah.
"Zachariah," Michael says.
Gracilynn gasp, her eyes shooting open, her breath quick. She blinks a few times and finds a ceiling above her. One that is familiar. She takes a couple deep breaths, reminding herself she's at Bobby's. She closes her eyes and forces the image of Michael in her fathers' body out of her mind. She slows her breathing down, hearing something in the distance. She focuses on it for a moment and realizes it's a car. She shrugs it off, open her eyes and looking at the clock on the night stand. 3:43. Awesome. All of three hours of sleep. She hadn't fallen right asleep after leaving Bobby downstairs during dinner. She just laid there and thought about everything that was happening. Gracilynn sighs, closing her eyes, trying not to think about her dream. Her eyebrows furrow. She still hears the car but this time its closer. Closer, like in the driveway closer. Gracilynn's eyes pop open and she sits up in bed. She listens as the car pulls up to the house.
"The Impala," Gracilynn whispers. She hears the car shut off and two door creek open and shut. Gracilynn flings her covers off of her, not caring they land in a heap at the side of the bed. She jumps out of bed and, whipping the door open, she runs down the stairs, almost knock Bobby over in the process.
"Slow down before you get yerself hurt," Bobby calls after her with a smile. He had heard the Impala rumble up to the house and was wondering how long it was going to take for Gracilynn to hear it as well.
Gracilynn flings the front door open and runs out onto the porch. She sees her uncle walking up to the steps. Sam stops and looks up at her, a tired smile on his face. Gracilynn smiles and leaps off the stairs, running into his arms, giving him a hug. Sam drops his bag and returns the hug. Gracilynn pulls back, looking at her uncle. Sam sees the silent plea in her eyes.
"He's by the trunk," Sam says, nodding his head behind him. Gracilynn's grin widens and she gives him another quick hug before running through the grass to the back of the impala.
Gracilynn rounds the corner of the impala where the trunk is open, coming to a halt. Dean looks up from the inside of the trunk and looks at her, shutting the trunk. Gracilynn studies him for a moment, making sure it's really him and not Michael. Dean sends a tired smile her way and Gracilynn returns it, hastily running into her dad's arms. Dean returns the hug, not overlooking how she's holding on as if he'll disappear if she let's go.
A loud grumble is heard and Dean pulls away from her, looking at her. The loud grumble happens again and Dean raises an eyebrow, looking down at her stomach. Gracilynn looks sheepish.
"What have you eaten while we were gone?" Dean asks.
"Um…" Gracilynn says, trying to think about her answer.
"She had a sandwich yesterday afternoon," Bobby says from the porch. Dean raises his other eyebrow.
"And…?" Dean asks.
"What d'you mean and?" Bobby says, "The poor kid was worried about you. What else do ya think she ate?"
Dean gives her a stern look which Gracilynn returns with a guilty grin and a shrug of her shoulders. Bobby lets out a laugh and Dean looks over at him.
"What?" he asks.
"That's the same look you used to give your daddy and me when you got caught doin' somethin' ya weren't supposed to," Bobby says. Sam grins, having noticed the same thing. "Come on, there's still some chili in the fridge.
"Dude, it's four o'clock in the morning," Gracilynn says.
"So you sleep in. Not like you're gonna go anywhere right off the bat," Bobby says, turning around and wheeling back in to the house.
Dean smiles and grabs his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. He wraps an arm around Gracilynn's shoulders and the two of them head towards the house, following chuckling Sam inside.
Please review! Enjoy the holidays!
