A/N: Please bear with us, both Chick Feed and myself are going through some difficult times right now. But hang in there the end is close and thank you for everyone who is taking this journey with us. Please review.
NC
C 51
-oOo-
Bobby and Missouri were talking when Dean strolled into the kitchen carrying his bag. Missouri looked at him curiously seeing the stern, determined look that was Dean's alone, even being portrayed by Sam's face. Seconds later Sam followed his brother, at odds with Dean's concentrated focus, Sam looked quite relaxed. Missouri's glance switched between the pair.
"You boys ok?"
Dean answered before Sam could say anything.
"We're fine. So, do we have everything ready for tonight? Cars packed? Nothing missing?"
Bobby responded to Dean's inquiry.
"Just one small task I still gotta perform, then I suggest we sound off on who's doin' what, an' I
think we'll be good to go son. Sam? Can you go round Lucenda up for me, tell her it's time to make a small donation. I want this bit done before we rock and roll."
Sam nodded and headed down the hall in search of the last member of their team. He hoped she wasn't having second thoughts about this, he was sure they needed her there tonight if this was going to work. Dean hefted the weapons bag onto one shoulder and headed towards the front door.
"I'll dump these in the car and come back. Need to decide who's ridin' with who."
-o-
Bobby wandered over to the under sink cupboards.
"Right, either get five clean glasses out, or sit yourself down old girl."
Missouri watched curiously as Bobby bent down, reaching into the back of the cupboards.
"If it's all the same to you, I'll take the weight off my feet. What have you got hidden back there Bobby Singer?"
Bobby straightened up looking triumphant and held his prize aloft for Missouri to see.
"A bottle of the real deal. The Glenlivet, a genuine single malt whiskey from the highlands of Scotland. I figure it ain't gonna do any harm for us all to sit down together with this fine nectar and raise a toast before we go. See? You got your way of relaxin' folk and riddin' 'em of bad feelin's ol' gal, an' I got mine."
"You got your what?"
Dean wandered back into the kitchen, and spotted the bottle in Bobby's hand.
"That for before, or after?"
-o-
Sam knocked on the door to Lucenda's room, hearing an over-bright Come on in. Pushing open the door, he poked his head around it, his eyes opening wide as he stared at the selection of jumpers scattered all over Lucenda's bed.
"Oh, Sam. Good. I'm strugglin' to know what to wear for this thing. Oh boy, listen to me! I'm talkin' like I'm goin' to a Prom, not to say Hi now bye to my long dead relative! I mean s'not like I've got to match whatever I wear to the amulet. Look here, Missouri's lent me a whole load of jumpers bless her, but what if I get too hot? I mean, if there's gonna be a hole into Hell; it'll be hot, right? But if there's no hole, I don't wanna stand around freezin'; Great-great grandma would soon know where I was 'cos she'd be able to hear my teeth chatterin'. You know? And I've only got the one pair of boots with me, I think I can run in them, but I've never seriously had to run from much of anythin' so far, not till I met you lot anyways, but I can't go in my borrowed pair of Missouri's fluffy house slippers, they're not gonna exactly project the right bring it on bitch image really; are they? So which of these would you choose? The green or the blue? Or should I blow both out and just go with the lemon? I'm thinkin' I'll need pockets, so I'm wearin' the jacket Dean lent me, but that put's me right back to the hot ques...Sam?...Why're you lookin' at me like that?"
Stepping into the bedroom, Sam didn't answer; instead he held both arms out from his sides, and invited Lucenda in. She didn't hesitate, breathing in the scent of him .. Or was that scent Dean? as he wrapped both arms around her.
"I'm scared Sam...I don't want to be, but I can't stop myself. All I keep thinkin' is what the Hell am I doin' here? What if I'm not strong enough to resist Usagi? She's had waaay more practice at this kinda thing than I have. What if my so called powers fail? What then? This' real Sam, isn't it? We're all goin' to an old cemetery, an' we're goin' to call out a real live ghost...Oh, you know what I mean...A ghost that could seriously harm every single one of us, an' yet you, Dean an' Bobby? You all do this as a job, an unpaid one at that...I keep thinkin,' I'm really and truly mixing with the crazy people now; no offence."
Still holding her, Sam chuckled.
"Sure must seem that way. But you know what? You can do this. Dean and I have every confidence in you Lucenda. The most important thing we want you to do tonight, is stay out of sight and hidden from HRH for as long as you can."
" Hey! I've had a thought then. How about I stay right here? Then she'll never spot me!"
Sam gave Lucenda his arm as they made their way to join the others, helping her to retain a semblance of calm and to hide the fine tremor in her hands.
-o-
Seeing Sam guide Lucenda into the kitchen, Dean immediately pulled a chair out from the table for her and winked.
"My lady?"
Lucenda laughed nervously.
"Why! Thank you kind SirrohHolycrap! Look at the size of that damn needle! Bobby? You sure you got the right one? I mean, that's about the size I think they'd normally use for artificially inseminating cows!"
Bobby rolled his eyes. Astounded, Dean too now stared at the needle and syringe that Bobby was prepping.
"Really? Does somebody actually have to...Do that to cows? With a syringe? Why can't the bull do it?"
Standing off to one side, also watching Bobby, Sam answered his brother quietly.
"Cos the bull can't hold the syringe?"
With Dean and Lucenda usefully distracted by turning to gaze in disbelief at a grinning Sam, Bobby made his move.
"Eeeyoooww!"
-o-
Missouri had sat silently, watching the small scene unfold in front of her, seeing how easily the four interacted with one another, and how well Lucenda was able to control her undoubted fear when she was in the company of the three Hunters. Bowing her head, her eyes closed yet seeking, Missouri eventually smiled, satisfied that the first part of the summoning ritual had been successfully achieved; her own senses and the essence of her home confirming that the atmosphere was now cleared of any lingering negative feelings that might have fed off the five of them.
"...souri...Missouri? Takin' a quick nap there are we Granny?"
Without raising her head, Missouri gave Bobby the finger, her smile growing wider at the slight hitch in Dean's breathing that only she could hear, as her unexpected sign language caught him by surprise. Some day she was going to have to stop that boy from regarding her like she was some kind of Holy relic who never did anything wrong.
-o-
"Is that alright with you Lucenda, going in Dean's car with him and Sam?"
The five all sat around Missouri's table, each with a shot of whisky, Lucenda nodded.
"Sure. What about the amulet? When should I put that on? Before we go?"
Bobby and Missouri glanced at one another, Bobby scratching his head via sticking one finger under his baseball cap.
"Can't say as we'd thought about that, but me? I'd say wait till we get there. Wouldn't wanna give HRH a way to check out the competition too soon. Um, when the time comes, you want me to set it up for you kid? You know...With the eyeball?"
"Crap yeah! Please, would you? Bad enough wearin' it, without havin' to touch the thing...Ooo, how about we put a dinky little blindfold on it? Keep the pesky critter in the dark? Or I could have a pointy stick and threaten to poke it if it gives me any trouble! What do you think?"
Bobby chuckled and patted Lucenda's hand.
"That's my girl..."
He quickly withdrew his hand again when he saw Lucenda blush and lower her head.
"Hey. I'm sorry, lass. I didn't mean..."
"No! Bobby! Please, it's fine. It just...What you said? My dad always said it when he was pleased about something I'd done. Just everyday things. Mom helping me with my schoolwork, Dad chasing me in the garden with a huge pile of leaves in his arms, pretending he was going to dump them on me...It's all the stuff you forget, and it's the stuff I miss the most. And you know what Sam? You're right. I can do this, you just wait and see!"
