Author's Note: I know I said it might be awhile before I was able to post the next chapter, and I really thought it would. Turns out, writing fanfic is a stress reliever for me. Who knew? Things really are going to be crazy in real life for the next few weeks, and I honestly don't know how much time I'm going to have to write. I've got a few ideas I think you'll enjoy.
Thank you to everyone who took time to post a review on this story and extra big thanks to those who review regularly. Seeing your comments and knowing you're enjoying my work means a lot.
CHAPTER 9
Dean jerked upright in bed as a scream pierced the pre-dawn silence of the bunker. He was disoriented from being so abruptly awakened out of a deep sleep and was looking around his bedroom trying to identify what had roused him when another scream sounded. He immediately realized it had come from Krissy's room. Jumping out of bed, he ran for her door and pushed it open without knocking. In his peripheral vision he saw Sam rushing in closely behind him. Both men carried the lethal hunting knives they'd pulled out from beneath their pillows at the sound of the screams.
It didn't take Dean long to realize Krissy was in the grips of a nightmare. As he and Sam watched she screamed a third time and sat bolt upright in bed. Her eyes were open but unfocused, and they could tell she was trembling even from where they were standing.
Dean handed the knife he still carried in his right hand to Sam and approached the bed. He sat beside the teenager and gently brushed strands of sweat-dampened hair away from her face. "Come on, Krissy, wake up. You're having a nightmare." His voice was quiet but held a note of authority that Krissy responded to, even in her dazed state. She turned to look at him. Fear and confusion were written in her face as she became aware of the man sitting beside her.
"You with me now?" Dean asked gently as he shifted so he could look down into Krissy's face. Her eyes were still slightly dazed, but he could tell she was becoming more aware of her surroundings. Suddenly she let out a sob and turned to bury her head against Dean's t-shirt clad chest while wrapping her arms around his torso. She was holding onto him like she was clinging for dear life.
Dean shared a look with Sam that silently communicated his thoughts as he wrapped his own arms around Krissy. He scooted back in the bed, dragging her with him, until he was sitting against the headboard. Krissy was still pressed up against him. He reached down to pull the blanket back up over Krissy to keep her warm in the cool room. "Shhhh," he soothed. "It's alright. I'm here. Sammy's gone to go get you something, but he'll be right back. You're safe." He didn't know if his words were penetrating Krissy's lingering nightmare haze, but he kept talking to her in a low soothing voice.
It couldn't have been more than ten minutes before Sam returned to Krissy's room carrying a mug of warm milk. Dean noted that his brother had taken time to stop in his room and pull on a pair of shoes - not that he blamed him. The floors in the bunker were dang cold at night.
"Come on, sit up," Dean urged Krissy as he shifted her against his side. "Sammy's got some warm milk for you." He reached out and took the mug. When he was satisfied that Krissy wasn't going to spill it on herself or him, he handed the mug to her. "Go ahead and take a sip," he said as he helped her raise the mug to her lips.
Sam moved to sit on the other side of the bed facing Krissy. He laid a hand on her leg and gave it a comforting squeeze. Krissy glanced up at him as she took a sip from the mug, and he could see the lingering terror in her eyes. He wondered what she had been dreaming to leave her in such a state.
"Better?" Dean asked gently when Krissy pushed the mug away. She nodded even as tremors continued to wrack her body. He pulled her closer again so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"
Krissy didn't trust herself to speak, so she shook her head against Dean's shoulder. The terror of the nightmare was still fresh in her mind, and she couldn't bring herself to give it a voice.
"Talking about it would help," Sam said as he rubbed her leg through the blanket.
"What Sammy said," Dean commented. "I'm not going to force you to talk about it, but I think you should."
"No," Krissy responded softly. "I don't want to talk about it."
Dean thought he sensed something in her body language that said she might be persuaded to talk without an audience present. Whatever she had dreamed had affected her on a personal level. Sam had apparently sensed the same thing. He gave Krissy's knee a final squeeze and stood. "I'll leave you two alone so you can talk.
Krissy was torn between relief that Sam, with his too keen perception, wouldn't be there to continue studying her every move and concern that she would be left alone with Dean and his expected demand that she tell him about her dream.
She heard Dean say "thanks, Sammy," as she felt his weight lift from the bed. She looked up and gave him a small smile. She wasn't sure if it was meant to reassure him that she was okay or to thank him for his concern. Regardless, Sam returned the smile and reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze. "I think you can skip our run in the morning. Our appointment at the high school isn't until 1:30, so you can sleep in a bit if you want to."
"Thanks, Sam," she said quietly.
He nodded before turning and slipping out of the room.
"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Dean asked again once they were alone. "I've always found it helps." He hoped he sounded convincing because he never spoke to anyone, not even Sam, about his own nightmares.
Krissy was dubious about Dean's statement. Somehow she didn't see him as someone who would freely talk about something that was bothering him. "Maybe later, but I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Okay," Dean said as he nodded his understanding. "You think you could try to go back to sleep? You have a big day tomorrow, and you need your rest."
"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She asked. She felt like a baby making the request, but she didn't want to be left alone.
"Sure," Dean replied. That nightmare must have really rattled her, he thought, if she wanted him to stick around. "Scoot down," he instructed as he lifted the blanket for her. He watched as she maneuvered herself until she was lying on her side, curled up against him. Once she was settled, he let the blanket fall back into place.
He didn't know how long they'd laid there like that, but he had started to doze off when Krissy asked, "Dean, are you awake?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"My dream," she said softly. "I saw the vetala that captured my dad and Sam, only I couldn't get to them to save them. They had you, too. They kept blocking my path so I couldn't get near the three of you. When I figured out a way past them, Victor showed up and the vetala turned into vampires. He came to me and smiled. I thought he was going to help me, but he held me in place and forced me to watch as the vampires killed all three of you. I woke up as Victor handed me over to one of the vamps, but I could tell he wanted to kill me, too." Krissy shivered at the memory of the nightmare. Dean pulled her close and tried to comfort her with the warmth and strength of his body.
"You're safe now, Krissy. Nothing is going to harm you here," Dean said in a voice he hoped was reassuring. This kind of thing was more Sam's area than his. "I promise."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Sam looked up from the cup of coffee he was pouring for himself when Dean walked into the kitchen. After putting the pot back onto the automatic coffee maker's burner, he turned to study his older brother. The man definitely looked like he'd barely slept, he thought.
"How's Krissy?" he asked as he took a seat at the table. Sam had peeked into her room to check on her when he got back from his morning run and had seen Dean asleep on her bed with the girl curled up tightly against his side. He'd thought, not for the first time, how unfortunate it was that this life they'd chosen to lead had robbed Dean of the opportunity to be a father to a kid of his own. He'd have made a good one.
"She finally fell asleep a few hours ago. From the sounds of it, the kid had a helluva nightmare," Dean responded as he poured his own cup of coffee.
"You get her to talk about it?"
"Yeah," Dean said as he took a seat across from Sam. "She relived the vetala and the vampire killing her dad."
Sam took a sip of his coffee and shook his head in sympathy. "Poor kid. I know she's really stressed about today's appointment at the school. I wonder if that's what brought it on."
"Maybe," Dean responded. "I'm surprised she hasn't had one before now. Things haven't exactly been stress-free for her lately."
Sam didn't respond as his brother had made a valid point. Krissy had experienced more in fifteen years than some people experience in their entire lives. That was the curse of people brought in the hunter life, though, and there wasn't much they could do about it.
"I'll let her sleep in a couple more hours," Sam said as he glanced at his watch to check the time, "then I'll get her up so she can get ready for our appointment."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
"Remember, you're to be on your best behavior while we're here," Sam said as he held the door open for Krissy to precede him into the lobby of Lebanon High School. She ignored him as she stepped past him into the building. She was still mad at him and didn't care if he knew it.
She'd presented herself at lunch wearing leggings and an old Taylor Swift concert t-shirt she'd picked up at a thrift store. It wasn't what she'd planned on wearing to the appointment at the high school, but when Sam questioned her she'd been unable to help herself and had responded it was. Sam had declared it unacceptable and had sent her back to her room to change.
As they crossed the lobby to the front office, dropped a companionable hand on Krissy's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She might be mad at him, but she appreciated the gesture. He seemed to understand just how nervous she was about this whole thing.
"Sam Winchester and Krissy Chambers," Sam introduced themselves as he approached the middle-aged woman who had come to meet them at the front counter. "We're here to see Principal Stockton."
"Have a seat," the woman said as she gestured toward a row of plastic chairs against the far wall. "I'll let Mrs. Stockton know that you're here."
Sam led Krissy over to the seats with a hand on the small of her back. They sat there for a few minutes before he realized her nerves were getting the better of her as she was bouncing her leg. He placed a hand on her knee to calm her and gave her a reassuring smile.
Krissy took a couple of deep breaths in hopes it would calm her raging nerves. She didn't know why she was so anxious about this particular meeting. Sam's warning when they'd entered the building had been unneeded. She'd had no intention of being anything other than polite. Her attitude was reserved for the Winchesters and their close associates, like Sheriff Mills. She knew better than to act that way with anyone else. More importantly, she didn't want to act that way with anyone else. She tried not to show it, but what others thought of her mattered.
Krissy had turned to Sam to ask what he thought was taking so long when the office door opened and a woman stepped out. Krissy pegged her as being in her mid-40's. She was wearing a blue, knee-length dress and sandals and had salt and pepper hair that was pulled back into a short ponytail at the nape of her neck.
"Mr. Winchester, Miss Chambers?" She asked.
Sam rose to his feet and gestured for Krissy to do the same. "Yes?"
The woman stepped forward. "Good afternoon, I'm Marissa Stockton. Please, step into my office."
Minutes later, Krissy and Sam were seated in visitor's chairs in front of the desk while the principal sat behind it. She took a moment to flip through some papers in a file on top of her desk.
"Mr. Winchester," Mrs. Stockton said as she looked up, "I received your email yesterday requesting to change Kristina's registration from in-person attendance to homeschool. However, you did not provide a reason for the request."
"I go by Krissy." Both adults turned and frowned at Krissy's interruption.
"Alright, Krissy," Mrs. Stockton acknowledged with a nod. "Mr. Winchester?" she prompted, turning her gaze back to Sam.
Sam cleared his throat. He had left the request to change Krissy's registration vague and had hoped he wouldn't be questioned about it. However, it seemed like luck wasn't on his side that day.
"My brother and I travel for work. We've both taken the last month off so that we could get Krissy settled in, but now it's time for us to return. We intend for one of us to always be home for Krissy, but there may be occasions when that isn't possible." He glanced over at Krissy then returned his gaze to the woman sitting behind the desk. "Krissy may be able to stay by herself for a few hours at a time, but she is not old enough nor, frankly, is she mature enough to stay by herself for longer than that." He sensed Krissy stiffen beside him, but he ignored her as he continued. "Should a time come when my brother and I both have to be gone at the same time, Krissy would be expected to travel with one or the both of us. That would require pulling her out of school. I would prefer not to impact her education that way. By homeschooling, her education can continue whether she's at home or out on the road."
"And what is it you and your brother do for a living that requires so much travel?" Mrs. Stockton asked. There was something in the tone of her voice that caused Sam to narrow his eyes in suspicion. He reached over and placed his hand on the arm Krissy had resting on the arm of her chair, as he'd sensed her tensing up. It was clearly a warning, and one that did not go unnoticed by the principal.
"We are private investigators specializing in the strange, unusual, and unsolved."
"Uh huh," Mrs. Stockton replied. "And do you think that being in an environment where her uncles," she emphasized the last word, "are gone so frequently is really the best choice for Krissy?"
"Excuse me?" Sam said, momentarily stunned by the question she had asked. His hand was still on Krissy's arm, and he felt her stiffen as well. He gently gave her arm a squeeze as a warning not to react to what was being said. It took some effort on his part to follow his own advice.
"Please answer the question, Mr. Winchester."
"With all due respect, Mrs. Stockton, but the Brown County Family Court determined that Dean and I are suitable guardians for Krissy. That decision was made with full knowledge of our professions and the travel involved. Frankly, I am at a loss to understand why this is relevant to whether Krissy is enrolled as a homeschool student in this school system. While having her enrolled in the school system is my first choice, as I am the one who will be supervising her education, there are other homeschooling options we can explore."
Marissa Stockton sat back in her chair and studied Sam for a moment. Then, sitting forward again, she closed the file on her desk and folded her hands on top of it. "The welfare of the students in this school as well as potential students in this school is always my concern, Mr. Winchester." Her voice was stern. Sam imagined that she had intimidated more than one disobedient teenager with that tone. She reminded him a little of Jody when she was in full sheriff mode.
"My official report is going to state that I have concerns over Krissy's welfare and whether the travel requirements of your and your brother's jobs create a less than suitable environment for her. It will also state that since I do not have anything other than a gut feeling about the situation, there is not enough evidence to take this to one of the counselors here at the school for further investigation." She didn't miss the tightening of Sam's jaw or the look of rebellion that crossed Krissy's face. She also didn't miss the tightening of Sam's grip on Krissy's arm in what was clearly a warning gesture. It was the kind of reaction she was hoping to see.
"And unofficially?" Sam asked. His voice had taken on a hard edge that clearly warned of his displeasure with the situation. He removed his hand from Krissy's arm and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Krissy glanced over at him and swallowed hard. She knew the look that was on his face. Things hadn't ended well for her when she'd seen it in the past. She was glad it was aimed at someone else. A small smile flickered across her face as she decided to sit back and watch the show.
"Unofficially," the principal said as she relaxed back into her chair, "I think it's great that you've made such a commitment to Krissy given the demands of hunting." She grinned at the look of surprise that Sam couldn't keep from appearing on his face. "Yes, I know you and Dean are hunters, and I'm guessing that Krissy isn't really your niece. Rather, I'd say she's the child of a hunter who has been killed. Am I correct?"
"What makes you think we're hunters? How do you even know about that?" Sam had recovered from his initial surprise and was now suspicious. This stranger seemed to know too much about hunters and their lives.
"My father was a hunter before he retired. I grew up in that world, but I wanted nothing to do with it when I became an adult. I went into teaching and later into school administration instead. Anyway, I recognized your names when you submitted the registration paperwork, and I asked around Dad's old hunting buddies to see what they could tell me about you. They all said the two of you are the best in the business, just like your dad was. My dad knew him by the way and sang his praises when I asked about him."
Sam relaxed slightly, but he couldn't quite shake his suspicion. "Who is your father?"
"Orville Cox. He retired from hunting about fifteen years ago and lives on a farm not too far from here, over by Mankato."
"Your dad is Orlie Cox?" Marissa Stockton nodded in response, and Sam continued. "I heard my dad talk about him a couple of times, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting him."
"I'm sure he'd love the chance to meet John Wincheter's boys. As I said, he's retired and enjoying life as a gentleman farmer. He said he was getting too slow to keep fighting monsters, so he decided to walk away before he got killed. I can't say that I argued with him too much about his decision." She shrugged. "I apologize for the interrogation, but I had to get a feel for the kind of person you are and how serious you were about Krissy getting an education. I know enough hunters to know it's not always a priority. You have to admit, this isn't a very typical situation. "
Sam nodded his understanding of Mrs. Stockton's assessment of the situation. He again glanced over at Krissy before responding. "It's a high priority for me. I want her to have options other than hunting when she grows up. For that to happen, she needs at least a good high school education."
Marissa nodded before turning to Krissy. "Am I right? Were your parents hunters, too?"
Krissy looked at Sam to see his reaction to the principal's question. When he nodded to give his consent, she responded, "My dad was. He was killed by a vampire almost two years ago. My mom died when I was little. He practically raised me by himself."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Marissa's apology was sincere. "Under most circumstances I would mind my own business. But, since it relates to your education, and that is my business, I have to ask. How did you end up with the Winchesters?"
"You want to answer that, or should I?" Sam asked Krissy. The tone of his voice indicated to Marissa that there was a story there that he didn't quite trust the teenager to tell fully.
Marissa had to smother a grin at the glare Krissy sent Sam's way. She could tell by the interaction between the two that they were somewhat comfortable with each other and there was a level of caring there on the part of Sam Winchester. In short, she had no doubt that Krissy was being well looked after.
"After my dad was killed I lived with some friends for a while. We had all been introduced to hunting, but they really weren't interested in it. I kept up with it, though. I, ah, got caught where I wasn't supposed to be. I called Dean to come get me, and he and Sam took me in." Krissy paused, hoping this abbreviated version would be acceptable. The full story was a little embarrassing, and she'd prefer it not be known.
"Dean and I knew she was on her own," Sam interrupted. "We'd run into her shortly after her father was killed. We offered to take her to her remaining family, but she declined. We had a friend we thought was keeping an eye on her. Turns out she was hunting vampires solo and keeping it from our friend." He sent a hard look in Krissy's direction and grinned slightly when she groaned. "She got picked up for trespassing in South Dakota. The sheriff who arrested her is also a hunter and just happens to be a good friend of mine and Dean's. She called us, and we went and got Krissy. We decided that she needed a bit more supervision and guidance than she's had in the past, so we've taken her in."
Sam could sense Krissy's relief that he'd stuck to the facts and hadn't revealed anything too personal. He reached over and patted her arm to let her know he had her back in this.
Marissa nodded. The exact scenario might be unique, but she knew enough about the hunter life to know that hunters taking in the kids of hunters who'd died wasn't that unusual. In fact, her dad had taken in a teenage boy for a few years when she, too, was a teenager. She still considered Scott her brother.
"Okay," she said as she opened Krissy's file again and flipped through some paperwork. "Okay, Krissy, I have your records from your prior school. Would you tell me why you stopped attending classes there?" She looked up from the stack of papers and gazed at Krissy expectantly.
Krissy glanced over at Sam. He raised an eyebrow, silently telling her he'd like to hear the answer to that question as well. She swallowed, wondering if she was going to get in trouble for her answer. "I … um ... "
"Krissy," Sam interrupted gently. "You aren't going to get in trouble for it. I might not be happy when I hear the reason, but you won't be punished for it. So, just answer Mrs. Stockton's question."
Marissa eyed Sam, and his gaze met hers. She nodded in understanding and approval that discipline was now a regular part of Krissy's life. "Please answer the question, Krissy," she prompted gently.
Krissy, realizing she wasn't going to get out answering the question, sighed. "I stopped going to school so I could concentrate on hunting vampires."
Mrs. Stockton eyed her for a moment before asking, "Were you aware that a warrant for your and your father's arrest had been issued because of your truancy?"
"What?" Krissy exclaimed. "No, I didn't know." She'd suddenly gone pale. She turned to look at Sam. "Sheriff Mills didn't say anything about that." She was confused. Surely the sheriff would have said something about it.
"She likely doesn't know about it," Sam responded evenly. "When she learned you were connected to us, she didn't run your name in the system. Had it been any other law enforcement officer who'd picked you up that night, you likely would have ended up in juvie."
Krissy mentally shuddered at the thought. She could feel Mrs. Stockton's eyes on her, so she looked up to meet the woman's gaze.
"I also see the warrants have been withdrawn," the older woman commented after a moment. She'd needed to see Krissy's reaction to the news. "I trust we won't be having any such truancy issues at this school, and you will attend all of your online classes as required?"
"Yes, ma'am," Krissy answered without hesitation. She glanced at Sam and saw the serious look on his face. She could only imagine what his reaction would be if she started skipping classes. After yesterday, a trip over his knee wasn't something she wanted to repeat any time soon. His right hand was hard and had been almost as bad as the paddle Dean had used on her that one time.
"Very well," the principal commented. "Now, since you did not finish the academic year, you will enter this school as a freshman. You will be expected to take at least five classes - math, science, english, social science, and an elective. We'll discuss which classes are available in a moment. Each class you take will have one online session a week. You will be expected to attend that session live or to log into the recorded session within 48 hours of the live session. Failure to do either of those will be considered an absence. If you have more than five absences in a grading period, you will be considered truant, and your homeschooling privileges will be revoked. That means you will be required at that point to begin attending classes in person. Do you both understand these requirements?"
"Yes," Krissy answered. The single word was said in a way that Sam didn't like. He nudged her foot with his, causing her to look at him. He raised an eyebrow in a clear warning. She looked away and began studying her fingernails.
"Yes, ma'am," Sam responded. "I will see to it that she follows all of the attendance rules, even when we're on the road."
Mrs. Stockton had to suppress a grin at Sam's response and his reaction to Krissy's answer. She was pleased to see that his actions confirmed to her that Krissy's continued education was as important to him as he'd said. She nodded in acceptance of their answers.
"Okay, now that that's settled," she said as she turned to the computer on her desk and pulled up a file. She opened a desk drawer and withdrew a blank schedule sheet. "You will be enrolled in Freshman English and Geography. Those are required courses for all freshmen. Based on your classes from last year, I also recommend that you take Algebra I as your math class, and Earth Sciences for your science class." Mrs. Stockton looked up from her computer to gauge Krissy's and Sam's reactions.
Krissy shrugged. "Those sound okay."
"I'm fine with those classes," Sam responded. "What electives are available for her?"
"We have three language classes available - latin, spanish, and french. All three are available for home-schooled students. There is also a business class that is available. However, my recommendation is for one of the language classes."
"I tend to agree," Sam commented. "I can teach you latin," he said to Krissy. She understood his unspoken comment that it would be part of her hunter training. He had been instructing her on lore and sigils, intending to bring in incantations and latin later. He supposed he could start it earlier than planned. "My suggestion would be to take spanish."
Krissy thought for a moment before turning back to Mrs. Stockton. "I'll take spanish. At least it will be useful."
Mrs. Stockton gave a quick smile at the teenager's comment. "Alright, give me a minute here," she said as she began typing the information into the computer. "Done. You are registered for homeschool attendance in Freshman English, Geography, Algebra I, Earth Sciences, and Spanish I. You can pick your books up here in two weeks. Now, is there an email address for both of you where you can be sent notifications about the online class schedule?" She typed the emails into the system as they gave them to her.
"That takes care of everything. Now, given your unique circumstances, I want you to contact me if there are any issues that arise," Mrs. Stockton said as she handed a business card to Sam. "I'm looking forward to working with both of you."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
On the way back to the bunker, Sam and Krissy talked about how they were going to incorporate latin lessons into her lore studies. They decided he would start with the basics of the language. Then once she mastered that, they would move on to the supernatural and lore specific use of the language. After that, their conversation transitioned into more mundane topics. When they walked through the heavy entry door to the bunker they were discussing whether they should go for ice cream after dinner to celebrate Krissy's school registration.
Dean was sitting at the map table and was talking on his cell phone when they entered. He was leaning back in the chair with his feet propped up on the table. Krissy wondered who was on the
other end of the conversation. She couldn't hear what he was saying from where she was at the top of the entry stairs, but she saw a grin spread across his face as he said something before disconnecting the call.
Dean glanced up as Sam, followed closely by Krissy, made their way down the entry stairs to the war room. "Wanna take a guess on who that was?" he asked as his brother took a seat across from him.
"I haven't got a clue," Sam said as he reached over and knocked Dean's feet off the table.
Krissy grinned at the interaction between the brothers. She dropped her purse on the table and plopped down in a chair near Dean. She was curious about who could have made the normally grim Winchester brother grin that way.
"It was Charlie," Dean said.
"Really? How is she? What's she up to now?" Sam asked.
"She's coming by tomorrow - wants to meet Krissy and give us some information about a potential case. She should be here by lunch."
"Who's Charlie?" Krissy asked. She was curious, as both men seemed pleased with the idea of her coming to the bunker.
"She's a friend of ours, and she often helps us out with IT stuff," Sam explained. He grinned at the thought of their friend. "She's a geek and proud of it. If it's fantasy related, she's likely into it. Plus, she's a top notch computer hacker. In fact, she was the one who got the guardianship order and your school records for me."
"She's like a little sister to us," Dean said. "You'll like her."
Krissy shrugged. She'd make up her mind about Charlie after she met the woman. She wasn't sure if a recommendation from Dean Winchester went for or against the other woman.
"So, how'd it go at school?" Dean asked, changing the subject.
"Sam got grilled like a steak by Mrs. Stockton," Krissy said. She didn't bother to hide the delight in her voice. She'd enjoyed seeing someone other than herself in the hot seat for once.
Sam gave her a look that clearly conveyed that he didn't appreciate her gloating over the intense questioning he'd endured from the principal.
"Really?" Dean grinned as he looked first at this brother then at Krissy.
"She questioned me about why I thought it was in Krissy's best interest to be in our custody if we travel all the time. I threatened to enroll Krissy in a homeschool academy that was not affiliated with the school system."
"I bet she liked that," Dean responded sarcastically. He gave a short bark of laughter. "It was probably a good thing that I didn't go with you," he said as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't think I would have been able to hold onto my temper."
"I almost wasn't able to," Sam conceded. "She let it be known that her official notes are going to say she has suspicions about our fitness as guardians for Krissy, but that she doesn't have any evidence to take to the school's counselor."
Dean had gone on high alert at hearing what Sam had said. "But? I know there's a but in there."
Sam nodded and glanced over at Krissy. He could tell she was enjoying watching this conversation. Sighing, he turned back to Dean. "Unofficially, she thinks we're doing the right thing and will provide whatever help she can."
Dean narrowed his eyes. "Okay," he said, drawing out the word. "Totally confused here."
Sam grinned. "Yeah, so was I. You remember Dad talking about a hunter named Orlie Cox?"
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything? "
"Turns out she's his daughter. She grew up in the hunting life, but didn't want anything to do with it as an adult. Anyway, she thought she recognized our names on the application and asked her dad and the hunters she knows about us. Seems we have quite the reputation. She also pegged Krissy as being the kid of a deceased hunter rather than our niece." Sam paused to run his hand over his face. There were so many different ways that discovery could have blown up in their faces. "Any way, she's offered to cover for us and provide any help that she can."
"Huh," Dean grunted. "Guess it's a small world." He stored information Sam had imparted in the back of his mind for later study and turned to Krissy. "You get signed up for classes?"
Krissy shrugged in response. "I have to repeat my freshman year. I've already taken most of the classes I'll be in. It's going to be super boring, 'cause it's not like I'm going to be learning anything new." she complained.
"That's your own fault for dropping out. I guess if you already know the material, then I can expect to see high grades on everything." Sam pinned her with a look that had her squirming. "I still expect you to put forth your best effort in every class - even if it is essentially a review."
Dean had to bite back a grin at the way Krissy was squirming under Sam's knowing gaze. He'd give his right arm to know what was going through the teenager's mind at that moment, he thought to himself. Turning back to Sam, he asked, "how exactly is this homeschooling gig going to work?"
Sam explained what Marissa Stockton had told them about the homeschooling process. "She'll be able to log into the class sessions from here in the bunker or using wifi when we're out on the road. Since there's a forty-eight hour window, we won't have to be concerned about stopping somewhere there's a wifi connection every time she has a class. And if we don't stay at a hotel with wifi, we can always go to a local library or coffee shop while she attends her class." He turned to look at Krissy, his expression serious, "and you can work on your assignments throughout the week, whether we're here or you're in the car while we're on the road."
"Hey," she reacted quickly to Sam's statement. "I thought you were going to be training me to hunt. I can't learn anything sitting in a car."
"We will be training you," Sam responded calmly. He wanted to try to defuse the situation before it escalated. "But there will be times when you can't come with us. Times when having you along would be too suspicious and may prevent people from talking to us," he explained.
"Or when it's too dangerous," Dean interrupted. He'd been content to watch the interaction between his brother and Krissy play out, but he was adamant about this particular point. "We," he said, pointing first to Sam and then to himself, "get to decide when you get to participate in a hunt and when you have to stay behind, not you. Got it?"
Krissy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to answer him.
"I asked if you understand. I would appreciate an answer to my question," Dean stated after she remained silent for several moments. "Don't turn this into something it doesn't have to be. This is a fight you won't win."
Krissy studied his face and saw he was serious. She knew all too well how this little standoff would end, and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with those consequences at the moment. "Yeah, I got it," she replied testily.
Dean studied her face before nodding his acceptance of her answer.
Sam glanced at his watch to check the time. It was probably a little late in the afternoon for what he was going to suggest, but he made the recommendation anyway. "Krissy, you've got to be tired. You didn't get much sleep last night. Why don't you go take a nap, or at least lay down and rest for a while? We'll make sure you don't sleep too long and are up for dinner."
Krissy nodded and rose to her feet. "Yeah, I think I'll do that." She grabbed her purse and headed toward the corridor housing the bedrooms.
TBC