Disclaimer: Still happily playing in the CW sandbox with characters from Eric Kripke's Supernatural. All OCs are mine.

A/N: Dear readers. I am so sorry it took me so long to update. Life kinda got in the way and then I fell into the longest fanfic on AO3 and things just went wayward from there. If you feel up to a 5.7 million word-fanfic challenge, check it out. It's called At the edge of Lasg'len (AO3) and it's in the Tolkien fandom. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with me. Isabeau and Sam are about to go on an all new adventure and I can't wait to hear what you think or feel about it. I love all the fluff, kudos and comments. Your reviews fuel my inspiration. Thank you ccarmich52 (AO3), for all your love & support, endlessly beta'ing – you're the light at the end of my dark tunnel sometimes. Check out her work – she's a Dean-girl ;-)

Chapter 31

The entirety of Sam overwhelmed her senses. She was aware of everything around her. The light breeze through the trees carried whispers for which she turned her head slightly, trying to listen. Were the trees talking? She closed her eyes and focused on the cool sand between her toes and Sam's warmth against her skin. His bicep muscles twitched as he adjusted his hold, his warm hand rubbing circles over her back.

"You okay?" He asked.

She snuggled a bit more and sighed. His heartbeat was a steady rhythm against her ear, calming her. Aside from the trees and birds, she felt the slightest movement of the air against her skin and she could even hear water rushing through underground caverns below the surface of the ground. How deep, she wasn't sure, but the vibrations of the force stirred the ground, ever so slightly. She knew there were bees close by, perhaps in the trees and small critters scouring around in the underbrush.

"I feel strange," she said, muffled against him.

"Strange how?"

"It's hard to explain but the closest I can get is that in all the Vampire movies I've ever watched, they always talk about heightened emotions and awareness and I never truly understood what that means until now."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked concerned.

"I'm aware of everything right now. I can literally hear the trees talk and move in the wind. The slightest rustle of leaves is like a drumbeat in my ears. I feel the air move and not just the wind, it's so much more and I'm pretty sure there is water below us or really close by."

Sam pulled away a bit to look at her. She still looked the same and yet different. Perhaps a bit more radiant? He wasn't sure. "Are you in pain?"

"No, there's no pain. In fact, I've never felt better."

"What do you say we go get some breakfast and maybe sleep a bit?" He suggested. He wasn't sure about the sleeping part but that was the closest normal thing he could think of. Something familiar to do besides worrying about powers and strange sensations, dream worlds and then there was something else too. He was sure it was important, but he couldn't put his finger on it yet. Oh well, it would come to him eventually, it always does.

"And coffee," Isabeau smirked, taking his hand as they followed that path back towards where the Impala was waiting for them.

As they continued along the way, Isabeau looked down. The rose petals that littered the river rocks of the previous night were all blown away by the wind and the white stones were cool under her feet. When they moved beyond the path through the long grass she noticed the field changing from brown to green as far as she walked. Each step was carefully placed because she knew there might be sharp rocks and even thorns on the ground, yet with every step it felt like she was walking on clouds. Nothing hurt the soles of her feet and the ground was comfortably warm under her bare skin.

When they reached the overhanging branches where the green Beetle was, the branches slightly parted on their own, enough for them to walk through with ease, without having to crunch down.

Sam halted and looked back at Isabeau.

"Iz, uhm, did you...eh?"

"No," she frowned as she stood next to him inside the arch. "Is it weird if I say it doesn't freak me out that the branches just moved on its own? I have this unexplainable calm around me. Do you think it was the Fae doing it?"

"You think they're watching us?" Sam asked nervously, looking around him.

"I don't know, but I'm not afraid." She looked back towards the clearing and the trees and gasped. "Sam, look!"

He looked up and his eyes widened. The field was lusciously green with wildflowers and instantly reminded him of the field of flowers in the dream world.

"Did I do that?" Isabeau asked, astonished as she walked closer. Sam followed, unwilling to let go of her hand.

Curious critters left the safety of the trees to investigate the new luscious area. Birds swept low, some bees discovered the flowers, and the wind darted happily through the grass. The sweet scent of nature calmed the last of Isabeau's nerves and she felt completely at home. She looked back at Sam and smiled.

,

He pulled her closer in his embrace. "Whatever this is, we'll figure it out together," he said before capturing her mouth once more. Isabeau leaned into him. Everything was perfect and she was unwilling to leave but her stomach chose that moment to betray her and she giggled into his mouth.

"Yes, together. Come on. I'll race you to the car." She didn't wait for him as she sprinted away. Her feet feather light above the ground. Sam watched her go and thought to give her a five second head start before he followed. He caught her around the waist just before she reached the car and lifted her up. She wiggled and giggled but he threw her over his shoulder and walked up to the driver's side. With one hand he unlocked the door and unceremoniously dumped her inside. Isabeau laughed as she scooted over the seat to the other side, waiting for Sam to get in.

He turned the ignition and put the car in gear. The short drive back to Bobby's house was quiet and Isabeau closed her eyes to experience more new sensations. She could hear a faint rattle inside the heating console and soothing sounds of the engine vibrated like music in her ears. She totally understood why Dean loved this car so much. Some stale smell of old socks wafted up from somewhere under the seats but the seats themselves smelled like polished leather.

Too soon the ride was over and Sam expertly parked the Impala under the tree next to the house.

He jumped out on his side and quickly walked around to open the car door for her.

"My lady," he bowed deeply as she slid out of the car and waited for him to close the door.

"My lord," she nodded to him, trying hard not to giggle. He offered her his bent arm and she slid her hand inside with ease. Together they walked up the stairs. As they reached the top step, the door opened. Bobby tipped his cap to them as they slid past him inside, smiling. They were met with cheers as everyone except Dean and Nelle congratulated them once again. Andrea pushed a warm mug of coffee in a startled Isabeau's hands and Adam pulled out two chairs for them to sit.

"So tell us what happened," Adam said before shoving another piece of bacon in his mouth.

"Give the girl a chance to eat, she can tell us when she's ready." Rowena reprimanded him, smiling sweetly at Isabeau. "Don't feel you have to share everything with us, darlin'."

It grew quiet around the table as Isabeau drank her warm coffee, thinking about a thousand things at once. Just then, Dean and Nelle came downstairs, giggling but Dean stopped short and eyed the table suspiciously.

"What's got everyone so serious? Something happened?" He asked as he pulled out a chair for Nelle and sat down next to her.

Sam looked up and cleared his throat. "Adam wanted to know what happened. But I don't think Isabeau might be ready to talk about it yet?" He looked at her and smiled. "You don't have to…"

"No Sam, it's okay." She put the empty mug down and smiled at everyone. "I don't know how to explain this exactly but I was back in the dream world where I met Aryana. She said that her daughter and I…well, that we are the same. Our names and maybe she is me. I don't know exactly but she said the dream world was created with me in mind. As a training ground; a place to learn. She also said whatever I add to the book will be available in both worlds and I can go there at any time when I sleep. I won't get stuck there again but since time moves differently there, I should not stay too long. I can also ask the fae for help."

Dean opened his mouth to say something but Sam kicked him under the table and he glared at him.

"Sam said I almost died last night but Aryana said that blood spells like the one we had to do will drain me considerably and I think that's what happened. I think when I fell asleep in the dream world to return I was basically in a coma. I woke up and there were beings of light all around me. They told me that they were there to help. They lay their hands on me and sang. Words I cannot repeat here because it was in a different language but somehow I understood it. Aryana said I would be able to understand all languages now. It's got something to do with my Djinn side or something. She said I can visit the dream world any time and even talk to Thomas."

Everyone was talking at the same time and Isabeau barely knew where to start answering questions. Luckily Sam came to the rescue as he held up his hand and cleared his throat. "Whoa, we can only take one question at a time. But can we please just eat first?"

"Of course you may, darlin'," Rowena cooed as she passed the bacon and eggs. Sam took the plate from her and Isabeau sighed happily. Everything felt right and good and fantastic. She had no care or worry, she had no fear or concern, well, until Dean and Nelle joined them.

"So where do we go from here?" Andrea asked before gulping down the last bit of coffee in her mug. She smacked her lips together to savour the taste it left in her mouth.

"Training," Dean said as he pushed his plate away, feeling completely satisfied. "As I've worked with Nelle over the last couple of months, we'll start off with the basics: Determine fitness level, weapon knowledge and such, but no active hunts," he pointed at Isabeau, "not yet anyways."

"Uhm," Isabeau started but he held up a hand to interrupt her.

"Six A.M. tomorrow morning. Running a few laps, some skipping rope and then we'll see what we have."

Isabeau frowned. She felt unsure. Early morning, running? "You're kidding, right?" She looked from Dean to Sam. "Sam?"

"Dean, aren't you getting ahead of yourself, I mean she just came into great power, shouldn't she focus on that for starters?" Sam took Isabeau's hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.

"That's Rowena's department, and I suppose yours. I'll focus on training her body for combat."

Andrea rolled her eyes and stole a piece of bacon off Pieter's plate. "Geez, you make it sound like she's going off to war," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she replied, half hiding behind Pieter's shoulder.

Dean stood up from the table to put his plate in the sink before turning back to Andrea. "This is war, sweetheart. Saving people, hunting things. THINGS! You know, like the one that possessed your boyfriend just the other day. Things that don't ask questions, don't play nice and are complete and utter douchebags. And don't even get me started on the feathered dicks." He was glad Cas wasn't there for the moment. But Cas was different. He was like a brother. One of the team, though he's been a dick in the past but that was the past. The guy he was now was much nicer.

"So yes, this is training, as for war. You have to know what's coming at you and how to kill it and while I know what she is now, magic tricks alone are not enough." He wiped his mouth with the dishcloth before throwing it down on the counter.

"Sorry I asked," Andrea replied quietly.

"Calm down princess," Bobby rolled his eyes. "Give the girl a break. There will be plenty of time to train and sweat. Can we please just get done with breakfast first?"

Dean sighed and nodded as he pushed himself away from the counter to take his seat next to Nelle again. She snaked her arm around his waist and gave it a good squeeze before finishing off her own breakfast.

It was quiet for a moment, aside from the noisy cutlery and last bits of coffee being swallowed. Isabeau looked from one to the other, her eyes resting a moment longer on Andrea who gave her a sad smile which she returned and mouthed It's okay before her eyes rested on Dean.

"I will do as you ask, Dean, we can do training and such. Though I'm totally shit when it comes to running and I've never fired a gun before but I'm willing to learn. The last thing I've punched was my pillow and since it didn't punch back, I have no idea what kind of opponent I would make in a fight, but please, can I just have a couple of days to find my feet," her eyes pleaded with Dean, waiting for him to look at her. Nelle cleared her throat and when he looked at her she made big eyes at him and tilted her head towards Isabeau.

Everyone stopped eating and fidgeting and looked at him as well. "Dean?" Sam started but the older Winchester held up his hand.

"Fine, I guess a couple of days won't hurt but don't wait too long, okay?"

"Thanks," she smiled. Sam brought her hand up to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the back of her fingers. His thumb grazed over the ring he gave her and she sighed, content.

Andrea had looked up at that moment and gasped. Grabbing Isabeau's hand from Sam's grasp and yanking her arm closer for a better look. "Jy't bling? Wanneer het dit gebeur?" ("You've got bling? When did that happen?") Isabeau nearly fell of her chair as she had to stretch over the table to accommodate Andrea's curiousity.

"Sommer netnou, daar buite in die veld," ("Just now, outside in the field,") she smiled as she pulled her arm back slightly for better balance and held her hand up for all to see.

"Very beautiful, darling," Rowena cooed as she winked at Sam who in turn shifted nervously in his chair.

"Thanks, Rowena." Isabeau pulled her hand back and stifled a wayward yawn that had suddenly crept up on her, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from." She rubbed her eyes and sat back in her chair as sudden exhaustion flooded over her.

Sam turned to her, concerned, "What's wrong?" he asked.

She widened her eyes, to keep them open but nothing seemed to work as they closed on their own. It was only when Sam slipped his arm around her shoulders that she forced herself to look up. But her head felt so heavy, like a thousand chains around her neck were pulling her down.

"I'm suddenly feeling very tired, would you mind…do you think…uhm," words failed her and she felt her body growing heavy.

"Come on, sleepyhead, I think it will be okay to go lie down for a bit. After all, based on what Aryana had said, I'm surprised you even lasted this long," he said as he stood up and helped her up from the chair. Leaning heavily against him, he guided her towards the stairs, throwing an apologetic smile to everyone around the table. But they all smiled back in assurance.

When they reached the stairs, Sam suddenly stopped, steadying himself against the wall with one hand while letting go of her to press the palm of his other hand against the side of his head. Isabeau didn't seem to notice as she slid down to the bottom step of the stairs when Sam let her go. Resting her head on her knees, she closed her eyes and let the drowsiness wash over her in welcoming waves.

"Sammy?" Dean had watched them leave the table but now he was quickly walking towards his little brother, concern written all over his face.

"What's wrong?" he urged as he grabbed Sam's face between his hands and looked him over, as if searching for injuries.

Sam shook his head as if to clear the fogginess from his mind. There was a stab of something, a lingering memory of long ago. He frowned as light orbs flashed in front of his eyes and he had to blink a few times to regain clear vision. And then, just as soon as it started, it was gone again. Dean had wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders, frowning as he watched Sam struggle with what, he wasn't sure.

"I'm okay," Sam patted his arm and smiled at him but the frown didn't leave the older brother's brow.

"You good?" he checked again.

"Yeah, I guess I'll lie down for a bit as well," he smiled weakly although Dean wasn't convinced. By now both Andrea and Nelle had helped Isabeau to her feet and together with Dean they led the two lovebirds up the stairs to their room.

Isabeau was asleep before her head even hit the pillow and Sam curled his body around hers as Dean covered them with a light blanket. Concern still etched on his face, the three of them quietly left the room.

"She'll be okay," Nelle said to Andrea as she squeezed her arm.

"I hope so," the girl said as she pulled the door close but not completely, leaving it slightly ajar.

ooOoo

"SAAAAAM!" A frantic Isabeau cried out as she was startled awake from her nap. Frozen in fear she tried to get her breathing under control. The last threads of a very vivid dream left her on edge and quite nervous. She tried to will away the images but once more, they flooded over her. She could still feel the cold thick fog that trapped her as it rolled and tumbled around her in a dark, unfamiliar forest. She could feel dark and eerie eyes everywhere, watching her. Her heart thundered against her ribs and she wanted to run but couldn't. Her feet were stuck, yet not. The fog kept her from leaving, not that she knew what lay beyond it as the darkness itself pressed against her. She felt trapped and lonely but she wasn't alone as invisible shapes or beings constantly pushed against her, leaving her cold and shivering. Their anger, resentment and fear were pulsing against her with a steadily increasing beat that threatened to crush her but something inside her pushed back. They wanted her to feel what they felt. She wasn't sure how she knew but she did. Projecting every negative emotion against her. She shuddered once more just reliving it. Letting out a shaky breath, she reached out, searching for the warmth of Sam's body only to find herself alone.

Finally opening her eyes, she noticed the room was dark and one glance towards the window confirmed that it was rather late in the day. Did I really sleep the day away? She felt cold in spite of the warm blanket and her skin tingled all over. Goosebumps appeared and she lightly shivered. Not from the cold, no, but she felt uneasy as she slid the blanket off her legs and placed her feet on the floor. The carpet was cool against her soles and she took a deep breath trying to listen for any nature sounds but alas, with the window and curtains closed, she couldn't even see the trees. However, her ears picked up the faint rustle of the leaves outside and a small smile tucked at the corner of her mouth. The mere sound of nature was enough to drive fear, doubt and uncertainty away. Dispelling dark forests and soothing her in ways she couldn't explain.

She pushed herself up from the bed, taking a step towards the mirror on the wall to assess her looks. Her hair was sticking up in various angles and there were dark circles under her eyes. Biting her lip, she looked around for her hairbrush when a sudden shiver went down her spine as a faint rustling sound reached her ears. Her body went rigid as she froze on the spot. Slowly turning around, she peered into the darkened room but couldn't see anyone or anything, yet she felt there was something off in the atmosphere around her. Perhaps it was the room itself. Were there still eyes lingering, she wondered. Laying her hand against her racing heart, her fingers brushed against the chain around her neck and she felt grounded for a moment but it didn't last long as once again, her ears picked up on a faint rustle.

She turned her head to the left and held her breath to listen. Counting to ten, she turned it to the other side to listen again. Distant voices came from somewhere below her, perhaps the kitchen. From outside there were other sounds: creaking metal, the wind blowing through the leaves, and even distant thunder. But the silence in the room was not all that quiet. She heard an unfamiliar trilling sound.

Scrunching up her nose, she quickly checked under the bed. For what, she wasn't quite sure, but one can never be too careful, right? It was dark but empty, except for Sam's shoes, which she touched to reassure herself they were real. Feeling quite silly, she chewed at her bottom lip as she stood in front of the closet, with her hand on the doorknob.

This is stupid, she thought before she yanked the closet door open to check for whatever could be lurking there. Not satisfied yet, she pulled the curtains away, eyeing the salt line at the windowsill, she knew she was being paranoid for nothing. Bobby's place was apparently the safest place on the planet and she needn't worry. Besides, the hunters and Rowena were all downstairs and only a call away, and wasn't she now a badass witch as well. That could technically take care of herself? Well, technical being a relative term…she still had to master spells and magic and such.

And then she saw it. A small white moth was struggling towards freedom between the folds of the curtain. Its little wings flutter against the merciless material. She cupped her hands around him and guided him to the window, opening it slightly to set him free. Frowning, she listened to the vibrations of his wings as he fluttered away. This wasn't normal, right?

Shrugging, she gathered some clean clothes and her toiletries and slipped out of the room to see if the bathroom was free. After checking behind the medicine cabinet door for glowing eyes or more unsuspected bugs that needed to be set free, just for reassurance, she finally stepped under the warm spray. As the water ran over her like a waterfall she finally felt content. The dream was already fading to the back of her mind and she could breathe more freely. If she squinted hard enough, she could even see threads of calm and peace knit together like a blanket that covered her. The warm water chased away the uneasy sensations and the sound reminded her of the waterfall in the dream world. While they never went for a swim, it was the atmosphere of the place that soothed her and for reasons she couldn't explain, she could almost imagine herself standing under that same waterfall and letting the water wash her worries away.

Humming an unfamiliar tune, she thought about the shower playlist she used to have whenever she was enjoying her me-time. It's been a while because her phone was still back home in South Africa – somehow it never made it to Sioux Falls and well, she didn't actually miss it as much as she thought she would. She's never been one to change routine regularly. She had done things a certain way for years. Perhaps it was the passing of her parents or the way she was content with her life. It all seemed far off into the distance now. Like it's only a story she's read or watched.

Dreamily, she hummed further as she closed off the taps and wrapped a large towel around her body that covered everything from her torso down to her calves. She quickly tied it into a knot of sorts over her chest to stay in place while she threw her head forward to rub her hair dry with a second smaller towel while holding the amulet between her lips to prevent it from slipping over her head and falling on the floor. It was in this position though, that she noticed something odd about her arms. There was a bluish tint on her skin that she's never noticed before. Frowning, she quickly wrapped the towel around her hair and stood up straight to have a better look.

Well, it wasn't just a tint, that's for sure. There were strokes of various shades of blue that curled from her hands and wrist, around her arm up to her shoulder. She gasped as she watched the lines shimmer in and out of existence on her skin like someone was busy painting with various brush strokes. It didn't hurt but it did tingle. Or did it? Was she just imagining it?

Panicking, she tried to rub it off. First, she licked her fingers and rubbed against her skin but when that didn't work, she tried to rub it off with the towel. Looking down, she noticed it extended to her legs and feet as well. She rubbed her skin red, but the blue didn't go away.

"No no no no, get it off, off! GET IT OFF! SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!" She started yelling. In her struggle to rub at her skin the towel had come loose and fell in a heap at her feet. The blue streaks were looking more and more like tattoos as they appeared to merge with her skin.

Crying and screaming as she tried to stop it from spreading, she barely noticed when a worried Sam and concerned Dean crashed through the door into the bathroom. As soon as they were inside, they stopped to stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of them.

Sam was the first to come to his senses and he swiftly turned around and shoved Dean out of the bathroom.

"Dude, come on," his brother indignantly called out as the door was shut in his face.

With barely time to turn around, Sam felt the crying girl run into his arms. Not caring about her naked body for the moment, he was more concerned about her state of mind and whatever was the matter.

"Get it off! Why does it not want to get off! Sam, don't just stand there, help me!" She cried out.

Sam shook his head slowly. Amazed at what he was seeing. He even blinked a couple of times as he looked down her back, noticing that her entire body was covered in the swirly blue tattoos that seemed almost alive under her skin. Every stroke was a different shade of blue and they even varied in intensity. He cupped her face, forcing her to look up at him and for a moment he didn't have words. Her eyes were glowing bright blue, like her tattoos. More intense than Castiel's eyes when he dug into his full power but with the same soft edges as Rowena's purple hue.

"You're okay," he soothed, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks to dry her tears. "Everything is just fine. Come here." He pulled her closer and held her trembling body against his once more.

"It's not, S-sam, I'm b-blue. I'm a s-smurf," she sobbed into his shoulder. His hands glided over her back, careful not to touch her anywhere else for he knew she would soon become aware of her naked body against his. Without a word, he reached behind him to the basket where the extra towels were and he wrapped one around her.

"Let me have a look," he said as he stood back to tie the towel around her body, trying hard not to look too much at her exposed skin. Now was definitely not the time for such thoughts.

She took a step back to fix the towel more securely, which was shorter than the previous one, before looking up at him. Sam took her right hand in his. First, he looked at her fingers before turning her palm up and then down again. Tracing the markings with his fingers over her wrist and then her arm, he looked concerned and fascinated at the same time. "Does it hurt when I touch you like this?"

She shook her head but didn't say a word. His hands were warm and soft and soothing. The markings really didn't hurt. Aside from the tingling sensations she had earlier, it was now more the sight of her skin that made her cringe and she shut her eyes to will the images away. She really was a smurf. His hands trailed up her arm, over her shoulders, following the pattern with his finger where it disappeared beneath the towel. He walked around her to trace it all over her back and her legs, ending with the pattern disappearing between her toes.

She was aware of every stroke of his fingers over her skin and wherever his fingers traced her skin felt warm. She didn't want to look at him thinking that all she would see reflected back at her would be concern or maybe even a hint of fear. His fingers kept brushing like feathers over her skin; never hurting; just soothing. He cupped her face and her eyes grew wide when she realised it was on her neck and face too, curling all the way up around her eyes into her hairline. Not once did Sam step back in fear though or did he gasp with disgust.

But maybe he did, she thought. Maybe he pitied her. What would everyone else think? That she looked weird and thought of her as distasteful and even downright fugly. She swallowed hard. She couldn't bear it anymore. She just wanted it gone. She's never had a desire to get a tattoo. Well, because she wasn't fond of needles and because of the way she was brought up. It was a sin to get one, so the thought or temptation never crossed her mind.

Before she could say anything though, a loud knocking on the door startled her out of her thoughts. "Sammy," Dean's voice came through the door. "Everything okay?"

"We're good, Dean. We'll meet you downstairs." Sam called over his shoulder without taking his eyes off her.

"How are you feeling?" His hand was still on her neck, his thumb rubbing circles on the side of her throat. She felt calm amidst the blue storm in her mind.

"I-I don't know what to feel," she sighed but he smiled at her.

"I would imagine this was a bit unexpected?"

"Well, not knowing what 'it' is, I would say so," she huffed.

He chuckled. "Well, you're not sick and you're not hurting, am I right?"

"Well, no. There's no pain, it's just weird to look at. I thought something was getting a hold of me." She slowly let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding.

"Well, I can tell you with great certainty, you are definitely a Djinn. These markings, tattoos, patterns, whatever you want to call them, are like a trademark of the Djinn. We don't have much information about them here, but I think there might be in the library in the DW."

"So I'm stuck with them," she gasped.

"Well, that's just it. I don't know. I mean, you didn't have them at breakfast this morning, did you?"

"Well, no," she frowned as she thought back. "I also didn't have them when I woke up, but I did have a tingling sensation all over me. Though, that could be due to the stupid dream I had."

"What dream?" he asked.

"Ugh, I don't know. It was, well, stupid. Foggy forest and I felt like I was being watched. It was downright creepy and I don't wanna talk about it now," she slightly blushed as she realized what she was wearing, "and while I'm still blue I'm also partially naked and at this rate, I can only handle one crisis at a time," she pouted which made him laugh.

"Okay, that's fair. I'll tell you what. I'll let you get dressed and then you can meet us downstairs. I'll make you some coffee in the meantime, though it's nearly supper time." He smiled before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Fine," she returned his smile and turned around to gather her clothes. Noticing the shower door was all fogged up and she couldn't see what was on the other side, a strange feeling washed over her and she couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

"Sam," she quickly took a step back from the shower. Sam stood at the door with his hand on the knob. "I'm sorry, I know this is silly, but can you just check the shower for me?"

He frowned as he let go of the door and walked back towards her. She didn't say a word as she held her clothes close to her body and waited for him to open the shower door to peek inside. A slight frown etched between his brows.

"It's all clear," he said, turning to face her.

"Thank you," she all but whispered. "I'll see you in a bit."

Nodding, though still frowning, he left the bathroom.