Chapter Four
Then next morning Autumn didn't wake her sister up. Instead she took a few Tylenol and started breakfast. She'd never had a hotel with a kitchen before. She'd always kept a hot plate and a few pots and pans in the trunk right next to the silver bullets and rock-salt. John stayed at her feet the whole time. She'd drop little bits of food to him as she went along. She finally completed four plates of pancakes, one of the few breakfast foods that could be contained on the road. She'd gone out bought milk the day before and it was in the mini bar refrigerator. So, with her four plates sat four foam cups of milk. She'd thought about running out for coffee but didn't see where getting dressed and spending all that cash was necessary. She knocked on Sam's door first.
"Sammy?" she called pushing it open and trying to keep John out at the same time. "Hey, you need to wake up." she said trying to ease him out of his sleep. But the moment her hand touched his exposed arm he was up and out of bed ready to fight. She laughed nervously as he put together what had happened last night. "Get dressed breakfast is ready." she said as he relaxed.
"Mmm Thanks." he mumbled as she left. She went across the hall to Dean's room.
"The world's afire all rise and urinate." she said trying to sound as hillbilly as possible.
"Morin' babe." he moaned cracking his eyes open just enough to see who was trying to wake him.
"Come eat while the eatin's good." she told him before leaving. She wasn't mad at him per say. Just a little upset with herself for letting the image she'd painted of him in her mind from falling. Sam and Athena were sitting up on the pull out couch eating when she got back to the living room. John stretched out at the foot of the bed.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked the pair grabbing her milk.
"Good." Sam answered.
"A lot better had you not tried to roll me over." Athena complained. She just stuck her tongue out.
"Had you left me be that wouldn't have been a problem, now would it?" Sam looked between the sisters awkwardly.
"Should I…What the hell!" Sam started, but had John propelled himself, suddenly off the bed toward the hall coming from the bedrooms. The dog tackled Dean knocking him to the ground and licked his face.
"Oh, God, get him off!" Dean yelled.
"Push him off." Athena yelled back. Dean pushed the dog off his stomach and began to get up, but John pounced on Dean again and knocked him to the ground. Athena laughed.
"John, come here, boy." Athena said, patting the side of the bed in front of her. John pushed himself up and came running to Athena. "That's a good boy!"
"Why do you have a dog if you hunt?" Dean asked.
"Because, he's cute and cuddly." Athena answered
"That was cute and cuddly to you?"
"You just don't like him because he loves you."
"I don't like him because he insists on shoving his tongue down my throat!" Autumn laughed to herself.
"He's just happy to see you, is all."
"Well, do you think it's possible for him to not be so happy?"
"Nope. Now eat so we can start. I'm going to take a shower and brush my teeth, after that I'm ready to start whenever you guys are."
"We've got John, Dean, because animals are super sensitive to the paranormal. That and we've always had a dog." Autumn said plopping down on the bed next to Sam. She scratched the dogs stomach making him roll over, stick all four in the air, and moan. "But, you've got to admit that's kind of cute." she grinned looking up.
Dean ignored her instead losing himself in the syrupy mess on his plate. The water kicked on and before long you could hear Athena singing some unrecognizable, mutilated song. Sam looked at Autumn cockeyed, but all she did was laugh in response. The three of them ate and joked about what song she could possibly torturing in there.
"So what do we know about your creature?" Sam asked going to his room and coming back with his father's journal.
"It likes kids, and strikes at night in the dark." Autumn summed up.
"That's it?" Dean asked.
"We got here yesterday afternoon. We really didn't have time for much else. Teenie and I have an appointment to talk with the kids today though."
"Good." Sam rolled his eyes.
"Dean, lay off." he tried to defend the girls. They were obviously doing their best, and hadn't logged as many hunting hours as they had.
"If this is what they wanna do they better shape up." Dean threw back.
"We're doing just fine on our own." Autumn shot in. "Just because we use a different style don't mean we're not as effective. If we weren't effective we'd have dropped out and be some X-File junkies living in our parents' basement."
"Autty." Athena said coming down the hall in a t-shirt with Happy Bunny on it, a pair of hip huggers, and a towel turban. Sam was starting to realize she had a way of shutting every one up and listen to her.
"Sorry, but we invited them along for the ride. Sort of in hopes of reconnecting or something. Nothing in the plans said they were going to criticize our every move and try to rebuild us like John did." the dog's ears perked up at the sound of his name while Autumn reeled.
"You asked them to help. If they have pointers take them. Now, everyone dishes in the garbage. We're out of here in ten minutes." Athena dug around in her bag before pulling out a hair dryer and brush and disappearing back to the bathroom.
"She always like that?" Sam asked. Autumn shrugged.
"Only when she thinks I'm screwing up."
It was longer than ten minutes before they got out of there because Autumn insisted on doing her hair and that they carry their pant suits with them so they could just change in a bathroom instead of coming back before their appointments. Dean and Sam took one of the houses while the girls when to the other one. The kids parents were with them, for supervised visits.
