A Chance Meeting

Chapter 3

Welcomed Guests

Hazel stood in the middle of the kitchen trying to think of something for dinner. Annie stood watching her from the door; she knew she was not allowed in the kitchen when Hazel was cooking.

"Let see we can have, spaghetti, lasagna, hamburgers, or steaks." Annie barked at the last one. "Of course you would want the steaks." She opened the freezer and pulled out two packages of steaks, set them in the sink and went to get the potatoes. She nearly ran into Sam as she was turning around. "SHIT!" She jumped and slipped on the rug, Sam grabbed her good arm and kept her from hitting the floor. He pulled her closer to him.

"Sorry. You alright?" He was looking down at her but she couldn't meet his gaze. God he smells good. Hazel took a step back and nodded.

"Yea. I'm fine. You just scared me is all." She looked behind Sam and saw Annie still sitting there. "Some guard dog you are, girl." She moved away from him and went to the pantry. "Hope you and your brother like steak and potatoes." She rummaged through the pantry trying her best to sound casual.

He stepped up behind her, "Anything home cooked is alright by us. We usually eat fast food." He reached over the her and pulled down the taters. "These what you're looking for?"

She turned around and smiled, "You found them, so you get to peel them." She ducked under his arms and grabbed the tater peeler. "You peel, I'll wash and cut." Sam walked over to her, set the bag on the counter; took the peeler.

"Alright."

Sam took one of the potatoes and started peeling it, while Hazel started to fill a large pot with warm water. "So I have to ask Sam. How did you end up in the river?" Hazel took the peeled tater he offered, washed it and started to chop it. It was a little harder then she thought it would be, with her injured hand.

Sam gave her a sheepish grin and she nearly went weak at he knee, "I fell."

She looked over at him, "You fell, how did you manage that?"

She could tell this might be embarrassing to him, but she wanted to know, how a six foot something guy just falls into a river. He kept peeling the taters, "Well after the Impala broke down Dean and I had a small argument about the reliability of his car and I stormed off. Eventually I came to the river. Started across some rocks there…"

Hazel nodded, "That would be the Slipping Stones, let me guess you walked across slipped and meet Max and myself." She dumped the last of the taters in the pot.

Sam grinned, and leaned against the sink. There was more to the story then that, but Sam wasn't about to tell her, he ended up in the river when he lost his balance while having a vision. "Yea pretty much like that."

She was turning on the stove and about to start on the steaks. She moved to the sink and again ran into Sam, "Oh lord, I'm sorry."

Neither of them moved, "Um Sam?"

"Yea."

"I kind of need to get to the sink."

"Okay," he didn't move. She looked up and saw that he was staring down at her. He reached out to brush her hair when they heard the front door slam open.

"I swear if you messed up my alignment, I'm going to kill you!"

Sam stepped back and Hazel went to the sink, remembering to finally breath. Dean and Max walked in, neither looked happy with the other. They both stopped when hey saw Sam and Hazel in the kitchen. "What are you two up to?" Max asked looking from Sam to his sister.

Hazel pulled the steaks out of the sink, "I'm being entertained by Sam while he helps me make dinner, what are you two up to."

Dean brushed past Max, "Your brother nearly screwed up the alignment on my car. I swear, who the hell taught you to tow a car by the front axel?"

"Listen smart ass, you're the one who helped, you could have said something then."

Hazel sighed and nodded to Sam to follower her out to the patio, where the grill was kept. "While you two bitch about whose fault it is," she started. They both pointed to the other. "Keep an eye on the taters." She took the steaks and signaled for Annie to follow. Hazel swore Annie gave Max a Don't You Dare Piss Her Off Look as she pasted him.

She shut the door once Annie was out. "I'll let those two kill each other while we cook. Hazel set the steaks on the grill, and then kicked open a cooler with drinks in it sitting beside the grill. "What's you poison. We have Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and Coke."

"Got anything stronger?"

She grabbed two Coke's and flipped the lid closed, "We do but it's inside." She tossed Sam the drink and he caught it with ease. The steaks didn't take to long and Hazel and Sam had an interesting conversation, while she cooked them. It amazed her how easily he made her feel at ease. He seemed genuinely interested in what she thought and she was more then interested in learning more about him.

With the steaks finished, they walked back into the house, Sam carrying the steaks and Annie following his every movement. The potatoes were done and sitting on the table. It kind of surprised Hazel that her brother and Dean weren't in the kitchen. She gestured for Sam to set the steaks on the counter and started looking for the two of them.

"Max, Dean! Dinners ready!" She looked back to Sam and shrugged, but Sam seemed to know where they would be.

"Where would Max have towed the Impala to?"

"Behind the house, this way." Sam followed her down another hall and out a side door. There were Dean and Max. Max under the car and Dean under the hood. Hazel caught a shocked look from Sam, and mouthed, "What?" He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Dean never let's anyone mess with his car. It's like his baby." His breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine. "It surprising that he let Max anywhere near it."

"Well Dean you will be happy to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with your axle, alignment or jack shit for that matter." Max shoved himself out from under the car. As for why it stalled in the first place…"

"The fuel line was punctured," Dean finished for him, holding up said part. "I guess my girl isn't meant for the off road." They saw Sam and Hazel standing there watching them. Both had goofy grins on their faces.

Hazel folded her arms, "Nice to see you boys can share your toys. Now go wash. Dinners ready and…" Annie bolted out the door with something in her mouth. "ANNIE!"

Both Max and Dean were cracking up. This annoyed Hazel a little bit. "Don't know what you two are laughing at. That steak belonged to one of you." She turned on her heel and left Sam laughing at the door.

Max and Hazel ended up splitting one of the remaining steaks and other then Annie whining at the door, dinner was very enjoyable. Max and Hazel learned that Dean and Sam were on a road trip, and just passing through town. Sam and Dean learned that Max was planning on skipping a semester of collage to join to National Guard, and Hazel was going to be a junior in collage this fall.

"What about you Sam, you go to collage," Hazel asked as she picked up his and Dean's empty plates. She noticed a look pass between the brothers.

"I was but I need to take a break."

Hazel set the plates in the sink and felt like she should kick herself, it was obviously a touchy subject to him. "No problem there, I know loads of guys who took a break." Max said, completely oblivious to the look on Sam's face. "Some of them even went back."

She nearly dropped the beers she was carrying in her hands. Max was a very book smart boy, but when it came to common sense he was seriously lacking in that department. Hazel handed Dean and Sam the bottles and popped her brother in the arm on her way back to her seat. She glanced at the grandfather clock, "It's getting late and I have to be up early." She stood and so did Sam and Dean, Max kept his butt firmly in the chair. "Max can show you were you can sleep. Oh and Max don't forget to let the monster in. Goodnight." She left them there and closed the door to her room.

She leaned against it and sighed, this can't be a good thing, she thought to herself, as she got ready for bed. She made sure her alarm was set and went to sleep with thoughts of Sam in her head.