Chapter 47
Once Jessie had eaten her breakfast and filled up on coffee, she explained to the three men what Castiel had wanted. While none of them seemed surprised that he would want to help. Sam wasn't quite convinced about his motives. He knew Cas still felt bad about what he'd done. But it was still difficult to trust him, even after all this time. And to risk the life of his child, he was going to have to prove himself before he could believe it completely.
By the time they were done discussing Castiel it was after noon. Jessie convinced Sam to go with her to the grocery store so she could cook something decent for dinner that night, even after Bobby protested saying he had more than enough food for everyone. However, she didn't want to eat what he had in the fridge and it was too late to pull something out of the freezer. So she won the argument, sort of. It meant she had to do the shopping and she had to pay, but that was always the reason he protested. He didn't like when she bought him anything, it felt like charity. And although she never made him feel that way about it, that was the way it was. So she always had to find creative ways to help him out without making him feel badly about it.
Sam was more than happy to take her shopping. It wasn't just because he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. But he also enjoyed having a chance to choose something to eat that didn't come from a corner store or vending machine. Which happened less frequently when she was around.
After shopping, Jessie got dinner ready then spent some time alone with Sam in their bedroom. They made out a little, but didn't have sex. She felt too awkward to have sex in Bobby's house, at least while he was home. So most of the time they spent talking, or just holding each other, making up for lost time. They tried their best to avoid the subject of demons and angels, but they did speak about the baby. Sam wanted to know if she'd chosen a name since she knew what she was having now. She played coy for a short time, but eventually he coaxed an answer out of her. "You'll find out when he's born," was all she would say. And after trying for some time, he decided to give up and try again later. Besides, he had many more questions about the baby he needed answered.
After dinner they spent another quiet night on the couch while Bobby and Dean were busy. They went to bed early, waking early as well. And after breakfast, both of them pulled out their laptops and began to look for a case, even though he wasn't crazy about taking her hunting while she was pregnant. However, he wasn't stupid enough to voice his concern to her. He didn't even open his mouth about it to either his brother or Bobby. He wasn't going to take a chance she would find out how he felt. He knew exactly how that conversation would go. And he wasn't interested in making that happen.
It was late afternoon before Jessie began to cook dinner. Since the entire household had been busy the entire day looking for cases, no one had even bothered to worry about food until it had begun to get dark. All she did was throw something quick together, which everyone ate where they were instead of gathering around the kitchen table.
She was slumped over her laptop while sitting at the kitchen table after dinner when she had an idea. She glanced over at Sam, who was on the opposite side of the table slumped over his own laptop, smiling at him coyly when he finally lifted his gaze.
"What?" he asked with narrowed eyes of suspicion.
"So...what're you doing in a few days?" she asked with a furtive grin.
He narrowed his eyes in thought, his brow furrowed. "I don't know. Why?"
She rolled her eyes playfully. "You mean you don't know what's next week?"
"Uh, no."
"Really?" she asked with surprise. "You're teasing me now, right?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She snorted in disbelief. "I guess I shouldn't really be all that surprised that you wouldn't know."
"What is it?"
She shook her head before standing up from the table and leaving the room. Walking into the study, she waited until Bobby raised his head from the book he was reading before she spoke.
"You're taking me shopping tomorrow, old man."
He gazed at her with confusion, then turned his gaze to Sam questioningly as he walked into the room behind Jessie.
"For what?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Tell me you know what's next week?"
He furrowed his brow for a moment before a look of realization passed through his eyes.
"Aw, Jess. I don't know," he said as he glanced uneasily in Sam's direction again.
She looked at him with disappointment before turning to Sam. "Fine. Then you're taking me whether you like it or not."
He gazed at her with confusion. "I still don't know why...but, okay."
She was about to tell him, when Bobby piped up.
"It's Christmas, ya idgit."
"Oh," he replied in surprise. "Okay."
"Okay? That's all you have to say?"
He leaned close to her, whispering in her ear. "Do you really think this is the best time?"
She felt the sting of rejection for a moment before she understood what he meant. She still had a lot to make up for and he didn't think a celebration would be the best idea. But she didn't care what any of them thought. It had been a long time since she celebrated any holiday, and she wasn't about to let their attitudes ruin it for her.
"We're gonna have Christmas whether you like it or not," she stated adamantly. "And, someone is taking me shopping tomorrow, or I will go alone."
Sam sighed, looking at Bobby as if he was horrified. He only grinned in return.
"Fine. I'll take you," he replied in defeat.
She smiled and shook her head in refusal. "No, you're not. Bobby's taking me," she replied, turning around with a sly grin.
He didn't look too impressed but he nodded in agreement.
"Good. Now that it's settled I can get back to my research."
Sam watched her bound from the room before turning to Bobby with a look of terror. "What the hell did you just agree to?"
He shook his head lightly and shrugged. "It's gonna happen with our without us, Sam. Best thing to do is just let it happen."
"Seriously, Bobby?" he said with a sigh. "You know how much I hate Christmas."
"Yeah. You and me both kid. But she's got her heart set on it," he replied. "And as angry as I am with her, I don't wanna break her heart."
"Yeah. I feel the same way, Bobby."
"Then suck it up," he replied with a smirk, then went back to reading his book.
He rolled his eyes but he was laughing on the inside. It was Bobby that had to take her shopping. He was happy he dodged a bullet there. As much as he loved her and would do anything for her, he was definitely happy he wasn't the one taking her Christmas shopping. It was the last thing he wanted to do.
Jessie went straight back to researching some cases on her laptop after her talk with Bobby. As much as she was looking forward to Christmas, she would drop everything in a heartbeat if she could find something to hunt. It had been suspiciously quiet for far too long, which gave her a very bad feeling.
Sam joined her in the kitchen a short time later, but he only stayed with her for a couple of hours before he watched something on TV then headed to bed. He was slightly upset she didn't feel like joining him, but she wasn't tired. She was too busy to even feel tired.
It was well after midnight when she finally began to feel sleepy. So after she shut down her laptop, she walked into the study to say goodnight to Bobby, who was sleeping in his chair with a book in his hands. She smiled, carefully taking the book from his hands and set it down on the desk. She was about to wake him when she did a double take, glancing at some notes he had on his desk. All of them were about demon omens. Dozens of them. Most of them in the general vicinity of South Dakota, or in the states nearby. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath to stop herself from becoming angry with him for keeping it a secret from her. She knew that it would most likely be about her, or because of her, which is why he hadn't told her about them. She didn't even know if she should feel angry, or guilty. Although she was feeling both at the moment.
Once her anger dissipated, she woke Bobby up and sent him on his way to bed, following closely behind him. She had to push Sam over in the bed slightly so she could climb in, which didn't wake him, but also didn't give her much room to get comfortable. She could've woke him up, but instead, she found herself watching him sleep peacefully with a smile on her face, eventually drifting off into a peaceful slumber of her own.
She was awakened several hours later by Bobby yelling Sam's name. He nearly jumped out of bed, stopping only long enough to shoot her a smile before he ran from the room. However, she was not being called so she took her time crawling out of bed slowly before making her way to the bathroom.
She was brushing her teeth when Sam came into the room looking hurried. He beamed brightly, waiting for her to finish brushing before pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. When he finally pulled away, she was breathing heavily with a wide grin.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"I gotta go," he replied tersely.
"What? Where?"
He smiled, brushing her cheek lightly. "Bobby will have to explain. He's gonna yell at me if I don't go now."
As if on cue, Bobby yelled up the stairs for him. He gazed at her apologetically before charging from the room, leaving her with questions. She was upset that she couldn't move fast enough to catch up to him before he left, so she didn't even bother. She could already hear the roar of the Impala's engine fading into the distance.
She was happy that there was a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her when she made it into the kitchen. Bobby was also there on the phone talking animatedly. He nodded to acknowledge her presence before turning his full attention back to his call. She poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the table, attempting to wait patiently for him to get off of the phone. She began drumming her fingers on the table loudly, until he shot an irritated glance in her direction that made her stop immediately.
Once he hung up the phone, he turned to face her with an expectational look. "You need somethin'?
She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Don't play dumb with me, old man. I know better."
He sighed. "They'll be back by tomorrow evening."
"And that's all you're going to say?"
He shook his head slightly. "Fine. Got a call from Marcus. He broke his arm while on a ghost hunt. All he needs is someone to dig up the body, salt and burn it and then they'll be on their way home again."
"And there was no one else who could do it?"
"No. Everyone else is—busy."
She noticed the long pause and was incredibly suspicious, but since she had an idea what was going on she decided not to call him on it. She decided to continue playing dumb instead. She didn't want him to know she'd seen his research.
"Okay. But why couldn't I go with them?"
He made a strange sound as he tried to stifle a laugh. "Should you really be digging graves in your condition, Jess?" She nodded her head lighty in agreement. "Besides. Didn't you want to go shopping today?"
"You got me there," she replied.
"Then eat something and we'll go," he said with a note of finality.
She quickly made herself some toast and managed to find an old, but still fine, apple in the fridge to go with it. When she was finished, she got dressed into something a little nicer than she usually wore and waited, impatiently, for Bobby to get ready. He seemed unusually dressed up in her opinion, but she didn't tease him about it, although she really wanted to. She didn't want him to change his mind about taking her shopping. She already thought she was pushing her luck, so she kept her mouth shut.
When he was finally ready to go, she followed him outside but stopped almost immediately outside the door waiting for him to turn around. It took him a few moments before he realized she had stopped. He turned around gazing at her with impatience when he noticed the keys dangling from her hand.
"You're not driving, Jess," he said.
She grinned. "I knew you would say that, old man."
"Then what's the problem?"
She chuckled. "I'm not getting into your Chevelle. You can drive my car."
"Why? What's wrong with my car?" he snapped.
She shook her head and tossed him the keys, then headed to her own car without waiting for a response. She ignored the dirty look he shot her across the hood of the car as he unlocked the door. He didn't say anything as he got into the car or as he drove. She didn't even know where he was taking her, but she didn't want to ask him in case he changed his mind. Even after they headed out of Sioux Falls, she still didn't ask. Instead she sat nearly silent, only occasionally singing with a song that came on the radio.
It was about an hour after they left Sioux Falls when Bobby pulled the Caprice into the parking lot of a large department store. It wasn't somewhere she'd ever been before but she was definitely intrigued. She began to think of all the things she wanted to buy, while watching in amusement as he tried to find a parking spot close to the front of the store.
"You're never gonna find a good parking spot a few days before Christmas, Bobby," she said with a smirk.
"That's what you think," he replied.
She continued to watch in amusement as he drove down one aisle and then another, until he found an open space beside a handicap spot. She rolled her eyes when she read the sign posted for the spot.
"It helps to have a pregnant woman with me, now doesn't it?" he said as he turned towards her with grin.
"Yeah, well, I forgot about those courtesy spots," she replied with a roll of her eyes.
He chuckled. "Does it make you feel like an invalid?"
"No," she replied with a hard look. "But I can always play up the 'I'm pregnant and need lots of pampering', if you'd like?"
He glared at her quietly for a moment before reaching for the door. "Let's go. I don't wanna be here all day."
She chuckled silently before climbing out of the car.
She followed behind Bobby, being as careful as she could as she walked through the slush in the parking lot, stopping once she got inside the building. He stopped to see where she was, shooting her a curious glance. She'd slipped on a small patch of ice, pulling a muscle in her lower back, but she was too proud to admit it, especially after she'd teased him. So she swallowed hard, ignoring the pain as best she could, catching up to him quickly.
"You're getting slow in your old age," he teased.
She rolled her eyes, grabbing a shopping cart and began continuing down the main aisle, not looking back to see if he was following. The store was so busy that she didn't intend on spending any more time there than she needed to. Plus, she knew Bobby wouldn't want to either.
It was an hour into shopping when Bobby began to complain about going home. She told him to go find somewhere to sit down, but each time he refused. She suspected he was afraid to leave her alone. And although she doubted she was in any danger, she didn't argue with him. She had promised to stay with him. And she didn't plan on breaking her promise.
It was well into the second hour when she thought she finally had all that she wanted, and needed. No one was happier about that than Bobby, until she informed him that she still needed to get groceries. He nearly threw a fit, but he didn't refuse her. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere.
After the car was loaded, they headed back to Sioux Falls, stopping at the local grocery store. She not only bought what she needed for Christmas, but groceries for several weeks. He complained about having no room to fit it all into the car, but she knew it wouldn't be an issue. Her trunk was huge as well as having a large back seat. And although it was a tight fit, she managed to get everything into it.
By the time they made it back to Bobby's house, they'd been gone several hours. And although he'd helped her carry things in, she did the majority of it herself since he'd received an important phone call almost immediately after they arrived. And even after her back felt like it was going to give out, she still didn't say a word about it. She was much too proud.
After she put something on to cook for dinner, she headed upstairs to have a long, hot soak in the bathtub. It helped her relax so well that she almost dozed off. However, the sound of her phone ringing was enough to wake her up. But since it was out of reach, she decided not to hurry out of the tub.
After she toweled herself dry, she wrapped it around herself tightly and picked up her phone, which had been lying on the bathroom sink. She looked to see who had called. It was Sam and he'd left a message.
'We, uh, ran into a problem so we're not gonna be back tonight. We should be back sometime tomorrow, hopefully by noon. I miss you.'
She was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be back for dinner, but at least that would give her time to decorate the house. Although she wondered how well that idea would go over with Bobby in the way. She decided she would get dressed and figure it out later.
When she walked into the kitchen, she found Bobby talking on the phone. He was wearing a strange expression, which looked like a mix between horror, surprise with a strange grin. She was curious at first, before she realized she'd seen that look once before, and now she knew who he was speaking to.
She checked on the pot roast she'd put in for dinner and then began peeling a few potatoes. She had just put them on the stove to boil when Bobby was finally off the phone. He was gazing at her pensively, his brow beginning to furrow.
"What does Sheriff Mills need this time?" she asked with a mirthless grin.
"What? How? Nevermind that," he stammered with a shake of his head. He turned away from her so she couldn't see him blushing. "It wouldn't be a problem if the boys were gonna be back home tonight."
"What wouldn't be a problem?" she interrupted.
He sighed loudly in frustration. "There's something I need to go deal with, but I don't want to leave you here alone."
"Bobby. I'll be fine."
He paced a few steps back and forth with indecision, stopping after a few moments to gaze at Jessie with a serious look.
"Promise me you'll stay in the house until the boys get back."
"Where would I go?"
He sighed in exasperation. "I mean it, Jess."
"Yes, of course I will, Bobby. Don't worry so much. It promotes wrinkles."
"Ha, ha," he said mockingly.
"I promise I'll stay in the house, Bobby," she replied seriously.
He nodded, leaving the room quickly.
She waited until she was positive he'd left the house before she turned down the potatoes and began to unpack the Christmas decorations she'd bought earlier. By the time everything was ready to go up, the potatoes were finished cooking. So she mashed them, took the roast from the oven and made gravy while waiting for a tiny pot of peas to cook. When it was all done, she made herself a plate, eating alone and in silence. And it wasn't like she hadn't done that very same thing every day for over two months. But this time she really felt lonely. She now regretted the time she'd missed with her new family. But no amount of regret or wishing could turn back the clock. And she still wondered if she would do anything different if she knew what she knew now. However, she doubted it very much.
After she was finished eating, she put dinner away in the fridge and washed the few dishes that were dirty, before she began hanging up Christmas lights in all of the windows on the main floor of the house. Afterwards, she moved on to setting up the plastic tree she'd bought and decorated it as well. And when she was finished, it was still early, so she decided to begin wrapping the presents she'd bought, since it would be easier when no one was nosing around. She didn't go overboard in her purchases, knowing they might feel badly if they couldn't reciprocate. But the majority of what she bought were things they needed. She figured if she bought them items they needed, they could go out and buy themselves something they wanted instead.
By the time she was finished wrapping presents she was finally tired enough to even fathom going to bed. She arranged the presents under the tree and began turning off the lights around the house. She walked into the kitchen to turn off the light, which was the only remaining light on in the house, when it began to flicker. Her first instinct was to reach for the nearest weapon that would work against demons. But then she remembered there was no way for them to get into the house. Not with all the demon warding symbols. Instead, she turned off the kitchen light so she would be able to see outside.
She thought she heard a faint knock at the front door as she was turning off the light, so she approached it slowly, grabbing the gun she had stashed in her coat pocket as she walked past the coat rack. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a dark figure standing outside of the door. After a moments thought, she realized who it was by their shape.
"What do you want, Crowley?" she snapped as she opened the wooden door, speaking through the screen door.
"And hello to you, too," he replied.
"Can it, Crowley! What the hell do you want?"
"Testy, aren't we?" he mocked.
"I'm gonna slam this door in your face if you don't tell me what you want."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I can see you're not going to be any fun tonight," he said, placing one hand in his pocket. "I just stopped by to let you know I left something in that shed out back there."
"The shed?" she asked curiously.
"It doesn't look like anyone goes there often. Could you think of a better place?"
She averted her eyes, shifting her feet uncomfortably. "But, uh, I, uh, I don't know if I can do that anymore."
He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "We've already spoken about this. You said you had no plans to change your strategy."
"I know, but..." she replied, her voice trailing off.
"But?! That's all you have to say is but?" he replied angrily, his voice becoming steadily louder. "Did you forget we had this conversation already?! If Meg gets her hands on you, do you think she'll just let you go after the baby is born?! Are you really that stupid?!"
"I know!" she yelled in frustration. "But I just can't do it anymore. I can't."
"You can't?! You can't?!" he mocked her furiously. "But you can and you will have your lungs ripped out of your chest! Is that what you want?"
"No!"
"But it will happen! And Sam will find your dead, mangled body—"
"Enough! Shut up!" she cried breathlessly, her voice suddenly becoming quiet. "That's not fair."
"Fair? Do you think demons play fair?" he asked with a mocking laugh. "I'm beginning to think I was all wrong about you."
"I'm not stupid, Crowley!" she replied with irritation. "You know exactly what I meant."
He stared at her for a few moments, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "Fine. Obviously you don't need my help any longer."
"Crowley!" she called as he began to turn around. She waited until he was facing her before she spoke once again. "Don't you think for one second that I don't know that you're just as untrustworthy and manipulative as any other demon. You may be assisting me, but I know you have your own motives. And if you try to hurt my baby, I will kill you."
He grinned maliciously. "I knew there was still fight left in you."
"Crowley..."
"Jessie. I'm helping you because it serves my purpose. I've never denied that. But don't you think for one second that I wouldn't hesitate to kill you and your child if I thought it served a much better purpose."
She glared at him seethingly. "You could try."
He laughed maniacally. "At least you're not lacking in confidence."
"I've had enough of this, Crowley. I'm going to bed."
His smile faded quickly from his face. "Don't forget. It's in the shed if you change your mind."
She backed up to close the door, looking away for only a moment. When she turned to glance in his direction again he was gone. Sighing in relief, she closed the door. But instead of going straight to bed, she hesitated by the door, trying to decide if she should go out to the shed. She stood there for a short time, finally deciding to head up to bed. She hoped a good night's sleep would help her see things much more clearly.
A/N: Well, should be an interesting Christmas, don't you think? And what do you think Crowley is up to now?
Thanks for reading!