Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or anything in it, Alexis is my original character.
Chapter 52: Something About December
The four spend the the next two weeks in Chicago, easily falling back into their old rhythm, almost. It wasn't quite the same, it never would be. The accident had still happened, Ellen was still gone. Everybody still felt the pain from it, but it became more and more dull with every passing day. It was a part of them at this point. It always would be.
Since April, since the accident, time had been off. They weren't really aware of the month it was, much less the date. Christmas had crept up on them without them even realizing. Suddenly it was December 22nd and nobody had put decorations up, bought gifts, or anything. Alexis was up before anyone else that morning and had finally looked at a calendar. She decides to head to the store to pick up some ingredients, leaving a note behind for the Winchesters and her sister. She couldn't let Christmas pass without doing some sort of holiday baking. She just couldn't.
Once at the store, she goes a little overboard. She picks up ingredients for both apple pie and pecan pie, sugar cookies, and red velvet cupcakes. If they timed it right, they could head to Arizona's for new years and she could bring cookies and a pie with. It would be nice to start 2012 surrounded by friends and family. Maybe with 2011 finally coming to an end, she could have a fresh start. She had Jo back, she and Arizona were back on good terms, she and Dean were back to normal, and she and Sam had found a new normal. In some ways, it was better, they were closer than before.
Alexis returns around 9:30 in the morning, finding that Sam, Dean, and Jo were all still asleep. She liked baking when nobody was around to interrupt her, so she puts away all of the ingredients except for the ones for a pie crust. She was going to start with an apple pie, two actually, because when making pie, you pretty much have to allot a whole pie just for Dean.
As she was slicing the apples, Sam walks out of the bedroom, bedhead and all. "You're up early." he states.
"It's after 10."
"Really?" Sam questions, glancing at the clock on the microwave. "Damn."
"It's also almost Christmas."
"I didn't even realize. It kinda feels like we've been suspended in time since May. In ways it feels like it's been years since the accident, in other ways it feels like it was just last week." Sam responds, taking a seat at the counter.
"Right? I think I'm ready for this year to finally be over. I was thinking we could spend Christmas here, then maybe all four of us could head down to Arizona's for New Years."
"I think that sounds like a good plan. Start 2012 with everybody around. And hope to hell it's a better year than this one."
"I don't honestly know how it could be much worse." Alexis responds, tossing the last few apple slices into her bowl.
"Good point. Let's hope we never find out."
Alexis nods as she reaches for her sugar mixture that she needed to coat the apples in.
"Apple pie?" Sam questions.
"Two. One for Dean, one for the rest of us."
"Of course."
Sam moves to make eggs while Alexis finishes up her pies and puts them in the oven.
"Scramble an egg for me, would you?" she asks, pulling a bottle of Propel out the fridge.
Sam nods, reaching for another egg. He finishes his and then hers. The two sit at the counter and eat in relative silence.
"So how's being back here? You still doing okay?" Sam asks, looking up from his plate to meet her eyes.
"Better than I thought. Jo being back is uh, is really good. It's almost normal again."
He nods, he'd felt the same. "You think you want to go back to hunting though? After the holidays?"
"Yeah. Maybe split the time between here, Arizona's, Bobby's, and hunting. I'm not ready to be back here yet, not the way we were before." Alexis responds. While she could tolerate being in the city, in the apartment, she couldn't bring herself to call it home again. Not yet. The terrible memories were still far too painful, too recent.
"I think that sounds good. And we don't have to stay together all the time, all four of us. If Dean wants to hunt more, if Jo doesn't want to hunt at all, whatever. I wouldn't mind it just being the two of us for a week or so." It hadn't been just the two of them in quite some time, and he was getting a little anxious for some alone time. No Dean, no Jo, just them.
"Maybe Jo will stick around the roadhouse and Dean will head out on a few hunts with Bobby after New Years. We could take my car to Zona's, Dean and Jo could take the Impala. Then we could head somewhere, maybe to that little B&B we liked in Nashville for a few days."
"Sounds like a good plan to me."
She nods in agreement. She was ready for some alone time with Sam too, no siblings around, just them.
"What smells so good?" Dean asks, emerging from the hallway.
"Your favorite." Alexis replies, a small smile on her face.
"You made pie?" he responds, resembling a kid on Christmas morning.
"Sure did."
"Have I told you how much I love you lately?"
"Never hurts to hear it." Alexis responds, standing up, her plate and Sam's in hand.
"So how long before I can get a slice of that pie?" Dean asks a minute later.
"Considering that it's still in the oven, I'd say a couple hours."
"Damn. Guess I'll have to catch up on some TV while I wait."
"What could you possibly have to catch up on?" she asks. "Wait, don't tell me, Dr. Sexy?"
"Maybe."
"How many times do I have to tell you that Grey's Anatomy is better?"
"I have to agree with her, I actually kinda pay attention to it now." Sam chimes in.
"Sometimes I question how we're related." Dean responds while walking over to the couch.
Sam just shakes his head and chuckles. He'd watch as much Dr. Sexy as he had to if it meant things would be good again. He wanted things to be good again, he needed them to be.
