Chapter Seventeen

Sam's Law School Graduation

A/N: After Dean and Evy got their own fluffy chapter, I wanted to give Sam and Evy one too. It's a lot shorter than the last one, but still sweet. This chapter jumps forward a little. Evy's eleven here. I'm going to start transitioning into her teen years. I'm working on a short to medium length chapter where she's twelve, and then the next chapter she'll be a teenager. I'm going to do as much as I can on this story before I leave, but I've got less than a week and packing, a test to take, and a research paper to write.

"Samuel Winchester."

What had up to that point been a very solemn ceremony changed to a celebration. Half the middle row erupted into cheers and chants. Sam took his law school diploma from the dean, whispering apologies for the noise. The dean just smiled and shook Sam's hand. He couldn't tell Sam, but the dean was actually bored and was glad for the distraction. As Sam walked back to his seat, he turned towards them, slightly embarrassed and prepared to ask them to calm down.

All that changed when Sam saw Evy's face. She was grinning, blowing Sam kisses from the stands. She held up a banner that she'd made that said 'Good Job, Daddy! We Love You!' The pride and the love Sam saw there made him want to run to her and scoop her up, kiss and hug her until she couldn't stand it anymore. Sam blew her a kiss back and went to sit down.

Sam was the last graduate to cross the stage, so the ceremony only lasted a few more minutes. When the dean dismissed them, Sam walked back towards his family. Evy was there, along with Dean, Jody, Cass, and Claire. Linda and Lily had called earlier that morning to offer their support. Evy ran out through the crowd and nearly knocked Sam over when she ran into him to give him his hug.

"You did it, daddy!" Evy exclaimed. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, baby." Sam said as he kissed her cheek. "That means more than anything."

Jody and Dean both congratulated Sam too, and they left to get some dinner. Evy convinced Sam to stay in his graduation robe as they ate. Sam felt ridiculous, sitting in a fast food restaurant with his graduation robe on, but he'd learned long ago it was easier to just listen to Evy. Sam had tried to get Evy to stay home for the graduation, spend the weekend with Lily, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"No way." she'd said. "If you try to make me stay home, I'll sneak into Baby and go anyway."

Jody and Claire started back home that night, so Dean took the motel room she and Claire had been occupying the night before. Evy finally allowed Sam to take off his graduation robe. Sam sent her to get her shower, and sat on the bed staring at his diploma. He spent the fifteen minutes she was in the shower thinking about his life, and how it had finally, at least somewhat, turned out the way he wanted it. He didn't even realize Evy had gotten out of the shower until she was climbing on the bed and into his lap. Sam wrapped his arms around her middle, pressing his cheek to her damp, slightly apple scented hair.

"Thank you for coming." Sam said. "Not many eleven-year-olds would rather hang out with their dads than their friends."

"I'm not most eleven-year-olds." Evy said, earning a chuckle from Sam.

"That's right. You're not."

"Sorry we were kinda loud. Uncle Deanie said we should make sure you knew we were there." Evy said.

"I certainly knew that." Sam said with a laugh.

"Are you a lawyer now?" Evy asked.

"Not quite. I have to take a test called the bar exam first." Sam explained.

"When do you take it?"

"You think I should?" Sam asked.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Well, I don't know if I want to work as a lawyer yet." Sam said. "It would take a lot of time away from you."

"Can you take the test and not work as a lawyer?"

"I guess." Sam said. "I was only doing this as a backup anyway."

"Why don't you take the test? Then if you change your mind you can."

Sam smiled. "When did you get so wise?"

Evy blushed at the compliment, then tried to change the subject. "Can we play a game?"

"Sure."

Evy took Sam's diploma and very carefully placed it on the table in the room. Sam watched her curiously, not sure what she was going to do. Evy came back to the bed, sat across from Sam, and placed her hand on the bed with a grin. When Sam didn't move, Evy took one of his hands and placed it on top of hers. Sam finally got the hint, "completing the sandwich" as Dean called it, and they were off. They played a full ten rounds, before Sam looked at the clock and saw it was after eleven.

"Time for bed, baby."

"Okay." Evy said. She hugged Sam and told him again, "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, baby." Sam said. "Thanks."

Evy climbed into the other bed in the room, and was asleep quickly. Sam had become more flexible with her bedtime, finding it easier to let her stay up a little longer and go to bed happier than have to keep telling her over and over to go to bed. He missed the days of tucking her into bed, spending that close time with her. She still occasionally asked him to, but the days were becoming fewer and farther between. What Evy didn't know, or maybe she did and just didn't care, was that after she was asleep, Sam would walk over and kiss her cheek.

"Good night, baby. Daddy loves you." As Sam walked away, he heard a sound so soft that he almost missed it.

"Love you too, daddy."

Next Chapter: Sam unfairly punishes Evy, leading to a fight between Evy and Lily.