I was in my bedroom and I couldn't stop screaming.

The television was on, and I'd been told to "do a better job cleaning this time" by Sam. I thought I did an okay job the first time, but he found all the places I hid my stuff when I really don't feel like cleaning. I had so many other plans for today – cleaning was not one of them.

An Hour Before:

"Hopie, before we go anywhere outside this house, put everything in this pile back where it belongs," he told me, pointing to Mount Hope, a humongous pile he'd made from all the crap he'd found. (He always got so worked up over little things!)

I was busy studying my nails, they needed filling and I was dying to try out this new look (French with a line of silver along the white tip and then gelled over – it looked so cool.)

I felt his hand touch my elbow. "Hey," he said softly, "Did you hear anything I said? You okay?"

"It's hard for me to concentrate when these nails look so deformed!" I huffed. "Look at them, Sammy!" I held my hands out like claws, emphasizing my point. "I have deformed nails and it's your entire fault," I sulked.

He smiled and palmed my face. "You most certainly do NOT have deformed anything, you brat. Just get cleaning and then we'll take you out," he chuckled. "Quid pro quo," he added, leaving my room.

"I don't speak Spanish you idiot!" I yelled after him. "Learn to speak English, this is America ya know!"

Present:

Dean and Sammy came barreling through my door in a panic.

My screaming had stopped. All I could do was point at the wall.

"What is it? What do you see? Spirit? Demon? This place is warded up the ass! Where is it?" Dean shouted to me.

Sam came up, checking me for – I don't know, whatever he checks for when things happen. "Little, what is it? Talk to me!" he said, tilting my chin up and giving me the once-over.

I finally found my voice.

"It's… it's… BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!" I screeched excitedly, pointing at the television. "Look, it has Emma Watson and that hot dude from Downton Abbey in it! OMG! Look at them in the ballroom!"

Dean was staring, Sammy frozen.

"Oh, for the love of God…" Dean panted, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "You have GOT to be kidding me."

He came forward toward me with his hands in his hair, turning his head sideways in front of me.

"Ya see this? Ya know what this is? It's GREY HAIR, Hope… and every single one of them has come from YOU! Not rugarus, not vengeful spirits, nope! YOU!" he grit out through his teeth.

He did not share my enthusiasm. Oh well.

I grabbed his wrists and jumped up and down.

"Take me! You have to, Deans (using my special nickname for him never hurt)! Let's go today, can we? Can we?" I pulled on his arms and yanked him around, pretending to dance with him.

"Dear God, Sammy – will ya do something with her?" he said, letting me dip under his arm and do a spin.

"Do what, exactly?" he asked, feigning innocence. "She is certifiably Winchester-crazy, there's nothing either of us can do with her," he laughed.

I reached out and took Sammy's hand and pulled him into my "tiny dance jam." (We called it that since I was barely five feet.) It was crazy – they lifted me up and I did a back flip in the air between them. They threw me around and caught me and spun me until I was dizzy.

They had been gone way too long this time.

"Okay, okay," I said, pausing for some air. "I know the perfect thing you can do with me!"

They looked down at me with mock-anticipation.

"Take me to the mall to see Beauty and the Beast!" I squealed, knowing in a few hours I'd be munching popcorn with extra butter, wedged between my two favorite people in the world. Then we'd shop and I'd get my nails done. Eating out would happen, too, at someplace that was not a diner. It was gonna be awesome.

"Hey, Little," Sammy said, bringing me back to reality. He pointed at my unfinished pile. "Better hustle," he said, winking.

"Oh, 'quid pro' to your 'quo', too, Sammy," I said, scurrying to put an end to that pile. I hid my grin. My brothers were home!