Disclaimer: The characters of Supernatural do not belong to me.
A/N: What's this? Another story? When I already have two in the works? Why, yes it is! But Bringing Down the House is almost done, and John Winchester's Journal won't be done for a while. This one called out to me. Enjoy!
"Hey! I'm home!" Kayla shouted as she walked through the door.
"We're in the kitchen, honey!"
Kayla walked to the kitchen and found her mother and little sister Mary patting out some dough. "What are you guys doing?"
"We're making pizza!" Mary said excitedly. "You want to help?"
"Um, I'd love to, but I need to talk to Mom about something. Can you give us a minute?"
"Why can't I stay too?"
"I promise, if you let me talk to Mom alone right now, and she says yes to what I'm about to ask, I will tell you all about it when I get home." Kayla said. "Please?"
Mary huffed. "You promise you'll tell me about it?"
"Yes. If you go to your room now and let me ask Mom. And don't listen in."
"Deal."
"Thank you, buggy." Kayla said, ruffling Mary's hair as she walked on.
"Don't call me that." Mary said, pushing Kayla's hand away as she walked towards her room.
Kayla laughed, and when she turned around, Jess was smiling. "Okay. What's up with you?"
"I, um, I want to go out tonight."
"Out where?" Jess asked.
"With a friend." Kayla said with a smile.
"Which friend?"
"You don't know him." Kayla answered.
"Him? Is this a date?" Jess asked.
"Maybe." Kayla said.
"Honey, it's a school night." Jess reminded Kayla.
"I know. And I promise I'd be back by curfew." Kayla said. "We want to go to the coffee shop and talk. That's it."
"I don't know."
"Mom, please. Please let me do this." Kayla begged.
Jess sighed. "I can't keep this from your father."
"I'm not asking you to lie to him. If you let me go, I promise I'll tell him about it as soon as I get home tonight. You, Dad, and Mary. I just want a couple hours with this guy before Dad scares him off."
Jess was conflicted. She felt wrong not telling Sam everything about where Kayla was. But Sam, for the last two years, had been even more overprotective of Kayla than he had been before the family had moved back to Sioux Falls.
"Mom, please. I'm begging here. Just give me today." Kayla pleaded.
"You go straight to the coffee shop and straight back. You do not go anywhere else. On your way back home, you stick to lighted roads and public places."
"Deal."
"And I have to meet him before you go anywhere."
Kayla grinned and bit her bottom lip. "I thought you might say that. He's waiting outside."
Jess laughed. "You were awful sure I'd say yes."
"I was." Kayla said, walking up to Jess and kissing. "'Cause you're the best mommy in the whole wide world."
"I already said yes, you can stop sucking up now." Jess chuckled. "Go get him and bring him in."
Kayla walked to the front door, opened it, and came back inside with a boy that reminded Jess remarkably of Sam. He was tall, nearly six feet already at sixteen years old. He had shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, and was neatly dressed in khakis and a nice black shirt.
"Mom, this is Todd. Todd, this is my mom, Jessica Winchester."
"Mrs. Winchester, it's nice to meet you." Todd said, offering Jess his hand to shake.
"It's very nice to meet you too, Todd. Can I ask what you and Kayla are planning to do?"
"Well, I'm new to the school. My parents moved here because my dad got a new job at the local hospital. But the move took a little longer than my parents planned, so I fell behind at school a bit. I asked Kayla if she'd be willing to help me catch up."
"So you'll be studying?" Jess asked skeptically. "The entire time?"
Todd smiled. "Well, I was hoping more to just get a sense of where we are at school. I don't mean this to sound vain, but back home I was a straight A student."
"Oh, smart too." Jess said. "I'm impressed."
"Just as smart as Kayla is." Todd remarked, making Kayla blush beside him.
"Alright, you two. I'm sold. But Todd? I need my daughter back in this house well before her curfew."
"What time is her curfew?"
"Nine."
"I'll have her back at eight thirty." Todd promised.
"And when you come back, you will have to meet my husband. And he will probably be a lot less friendly than I am."
"I think I can handle it, ma'am." Todd said.
"Alright. Go. You two have a good time."
"Can I come out now?" Mary called from her room.
"In a minute!" Kayla yelled. "Thanks, Mom."
Jess shook her head as the two of them left. She'd worried about whether Kayla would ever date or not. She had improved dramatically. She had more friends, was much more social, and, as far as Jess knew, didn't have nightly bad dreams anymore. She still had trouble getting close to anyone new, so she hadn't been to any sleepovers or gotten especially close to any new friends. But Jess knew that, with time and gentle encouragement, that would change.
"Mary, you can come out now!"
Mary walked back to the kitchen, looking distinctly displeased at being kept out of whatever was going on. "Why do I have to miss all the fun stuff?"
Jess laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Your sister used to wonder the same thing when she was your age." Jess said. "Here, taste this. Then go wash up. Daddy'll be home soon."
Back at the coffee shop, Kayla was feeling…weird. She couldn't think of a better word to describe it. She remembered Jess telling her once that when she was dating Sam, she'd felt like there were butterflies floating in her stomach every time he was around. Kayla asked if that feeling had ever gone away, and Jess had answered that she just got used to it. Kayla felt that way now. Every time Todd laughed, or asked her a question, or answered one of hers, or even just breathed in her general vicinity, Kayla worried that if she opened her mouth, those butterflies her mother talked about would come out with a vengeance.
"Well, it's been good, but we should get you home."
"Why? What time is it?" Kayla looked at the clock on the wall. "It's 8:15 already?"
"Yep. We've been here for four hours."
"Wow." Kayla thought about protesting, but remembered what Todd said about getting her home half an hour early. "You really want to impress my parents, don't you?"
"I want to see you again. And from what your mom said, I have a feeling impressing your dad's the best way to do that."
"On that you'd be right. But, I should warn you. It's not just my dad."
"What do you mean?"
"I kind of have a feeling my mom told him where I was, and you'll have to meet my grandpa and two uncles too." Kayla said. Todd blanched, and Kayla laughed. "Don't look so worried. Wait till you meet my little sister."
Kayla and Todd walked back towards her house, and Kayla felt good. She was surprised that she was okay with walking home with Todd alone. When they made it to the house, Kayla was relieved to only see her father's car in the driveway. Maybe Jess really had told Sam she was just out with friends.
"You can relax. It's just my dad."
Todd let out a breath. "Good."
For the first time all day, Kayla found herself truly nervous. I hope so. "Come on."
Kayla walked up the four steps and into the house. Her family was seated on the living room couch, watching a movie, and all activity in the room ceased when she closed the door. Kayla saw her father take stock of Todd in the three seconds before he spoke. Her heart sank and she hoped she misread the disapproval she saw there. Kayla grabbed Todd's hand and squeezed it for encouragement.
"Hi, Dad." she said cheerfully.
"Hey, there. You gonna introduce me to your friend?" Sam asked, standing up off the couch and walking over to them.
"Sure. This is Todd Whitaker. He's new in town. Todd, this is my dad, Sam Winchester."
"Mr. Winchester. It's nice to meet you." Todd said, and Kayla could see the effort it was taking him to not be intimidated by Sam's towering height.
Sam accepted Todd's handshake, and Kayla could see Sam still sizing him up. "So, can I ask why you took my daughter out before meeting me?"
"That was my choice, not his." Kayla answered, annoyed. "And it's because I wanted to spend some time with him before getting interrogated by you."
"I apologize if I offended you, Mr. Winchester. I met Kayla earlier this week when I started school. She's been helping me get oriented to everything. I just wanted to pay back the favor."
"I see." Sam said. "And where'd you move here from?"
"Baton Rouge, sir."
"Mm-hmm. And how good of a student are you?"
"Straight A's. If you'd like, I'll bring my last report card whenever I come back."
Kayla smiled, and could tell it annoyed Sam slightly that while Todd might have been intimidated by Sam's taller stature, he wasn't intimidated by all the questions.
"All right. Thank you for coming in to meet me." Sam said. "I hope you understand. I'm not trying to put you through the ringer for no reason. But Kayla's my baby girl. I'm going to do whatever I have to to protect her."
"I understand, sir. I do. Since we got back early, is it okay if we go talk on the porch for a few minutes?"
"As long as talking is all you're going to do."
"DAD!" Kayla exclaimed, horrified at the implication he was making. "Seriously?"
"Um, excuse me!" an annoyed Mary exclaimed from the couch.
Kayla had been so irritated with Sam that she'd forgotten to introduce Mary. "Oh, right. Sorry, buggy. Todd, this is my little sister, Mary."
"Nice to meet you."
"You too. And don't call me buggy!"
"Alright. Enough. Todd, you and Kayla can talk until her curfew at nine. Stay on the porch." Jess instructed.
"Yes, ma'am." Todd said, grateful for Jess's intervention.
When the two teenagers were out the door, Sam turned to Jess and said immediately, "I don't like him."
Jess chuckled. "Yes, you do."
"How do you know?"
"Because he's polite, he brought Kayla back thirty-five minutes early, and he stood up to you interrogating him like that." Jess said. "Admit it."
"Fine. Maybe I do. But don't tell Kayla that. Or Todd."
"I won't." Jess said. "Promise."
"Can I go out there with them?" Mary asked.
"Yes!" Sam agreed enthusiastically.
"No, you absolutely may not." Jess said. "Your father's already going to give them a hard enough time. They don't need a nosey little sister added to the mix."
"Fine." A disappointed Sam and Mary said at the same time.
"Why don't you start getting ready for bed?" Jess said.
"Aww! But Kayla promised to tell me about her date!"
"And she can tell you just as easily in your pajamas as she can if you aren't. Go." Jess repeated patiently, pointing up the stairs in the direction of the bathroom.
"I never get to be here for the fun stuff." Mary grumbled as she walked up the stairs.
"And you better brush your teeth too!"
"Ugh. Date. Can I make Kayla wait until she's thirty-five?" Sam asked.
"No. But listen. All jokes aside. Didn't you notice how happy she was?"
Sam smiled. "Yeah. I did."
"I know it's your fatherly prerogative to give him a hard time. But don't give him too hard a time. Don't chase him off. He could be good for her. Make her see that not every guy is out to get her."
"You're right." Sam said. "I know you're right."
"And don't pressure her to tell you about the date. If she wants to tell you, she will. If she doesn't, it just means she's a teenage girl and she wants to keep it between her mom and sister. Okay?"
"Okay." Sam said. "Thanks for helping keep me level headed."
"It's my job."
The front door opened, and Kayla stepped back inside. Todd poked his head in and said, "I have to head home before my own curfew, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester. I just wanted to say good night."
"Good night, Todd." Jess said.
"Good night, son." Sam said.
"Night, Kayla."
"Bye."
Kayla pushed the door shut, and Sam expected her to start tearing into him for the meeting earlier. "Look, honey, I…"
Sam was left speechless when Kayla crossed the living room and kissed him on the cheek, then hugged him. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby."
"I'm going to get ready for bed." Kayla said.
Kayla walked to her room, her thoughts preoccupied with Todd. She bit her lip and smiled when she thought of how special he made her feel. She quickly changed into her pajamas, then looked out the window and up at the moon. It was a habit that had been ingrained in her years earlier while living away from her parents for a few months. She knew her mother still kept up with it too, even though they were back in the same house. But before she could whisper 'I love you' and head to her sister's room to keep her promise, she spotted something.
The rosebush was moving. Not a lot, and Kayla would have just chalked it up to wind if she didn't know for a fact that there was no breeze that night. Maybe it's a stray cat or something, she thought, and started to walk away. But what stepped out of the rosebush was distinctly human. Kayla's heart stopped immediately. She remembered those eyes. They haunted her dreams at night. She saw them when she was alone in the dark, and had to remind herself there was no way they could actually be there. No way they could be back to haunt her again. When the figure smiled and waved at her, Kayla let out a scream she wasn't conscious of making. She fell to the floor underneath the window, shaking and crying in a way she hadn't done in years. She heard her parents flying up the stairs and into her room.
"Kayla! What's wrong, honey?"
"In…in the…in the yard. Front yard."
"What? What's out in the yard, honey?" Sam asked.
"There's someone…a man…in the front yard…" Kayla sputtered.
A dark look crossed Sam's face and he turned to Mary, who had come into the room following Kayla's scream. "Mary, stay in here with your mother and sister."
"Mommy…"
Jess took a seat next to Kayla, and tried to comfort her as Sam went outside to check out what was going on. She tried to tell Kayla that everything was oaky, that she'd be fine, but Jess didn't know if she really believed that or not. Sam came back inside, and knelt down in front of Kayla. He wiped away the tears on her face and explained gently,
"I didn't see anything outside, baby. What'd you see that scared you so much?"
"It was him."
"Him who?" Sam asked.
Kayla swallowed. "He was standing in front of the rosebush, looking up at me and waving. I swear it was him, Dad."
"Who, honey?" Sam asked.
"It was Art."