A/N: As a kind of apology gift - have another snippet. And soon there will be gift-giving and schmoopiness beyond compare. And now… because Sam doesn't offer his Hunter services to just anybody…
Bobby couldn't understand why he always ended up with strays. He shook his head at Travis. Gabriel vocalised Bobby's thoughts "Chicks don't dig black magic as much as you'd think, kid."
Travis looked sceptical. "Aw, really?" Gabriel and Bobby both nodded with certainty.
-oOo-
Laura held out a ceramic dish covered in foil. "I went home and got some dessert," She explained. Sophie clung to her and stared at Sam with a seriousness beyond her years. Laura's free hand gripped Sam's wrist. "Do you think you could help me set up some kind of security? I don't like to think about how unprepared I was for this kind of …invasion. I mean, you know, the weird stuff. Do I need garlic? Holy water? Silver bullets? What else is out there? Is Travis … safe?"
Sam knew it wasn't Travis' safety she was referring to. He nodded. "I can show you a few things. Protective devices. What to look out for."
"Thank you. I'm afraid to let Sophie out of my sight now. But I have to go to work sometimes when she's home and now I have no babysitter. And I'm not sure I could trust another one for a while…" Sam looked at Sophie's huge eyes as she chewed nervously on a hank of brown hair.
"I'll do it," Sam was surprised to hear himself say. "I mean, my hours are pretty flexible. I don't have a lot of experience with entertaining little girls, but I guess kids are kids, right?" He felt Sophie lean against him and looked down to see her smiling. Laura chuckled, making Sam cringe. "I sound like a creeper, don't I?"
"A little. But you said - if we were ever in trouble we could come to you. And you came through. So I accept your appointment as casual baby sitter. You know I can't pay you much, right?"
"Laura, if you try to pay me, I'll be offended… I'll ask you for one favour though. No more clown pictures, okay?"
"Hello!" Gabriel had suddenly made himself noticed, by taking Laura's hand from Sam's arm and bowing over it. She gave Sam a concerned look. "Uh, Gabriel this is Laura. This is our …friend, Gabriel. He's mostly harmless, but partial to dessert." Sam smiled apologetically as Gabriel stole the covered dish from her hand.
"Gabe, put the dessert in the fridge! Do not eat it." Sam called after him. Sam squatted down to Sophie's height. "Make sure he puts it in the fridge, okay?" She nodded seriously and ran after Gabriel who was already peeling the covering off the dish on the way to the kitchen, and waving with two spoons in his hand for Sophie to hurry over.
-oOo-
Sam steered Laura to the couch where Cas and Dean were wedged together. "I think you've met my brother Dean. This is our friend, Cas and over there with Travis is our…uncle, Bobby."
"There's a lot of testosterone in your family," she commented, raising a brow. "You're all single?" she asked under her breath.
"Uh…" Sam looked at Dean nervously. Dean shrugged. He wasn't going to help Gigantor out of his awkward social situation.
"No. Bobby's a widower. Dean and Cas… are kind of together."
"There is no 'kind of'." Cas corrected. Dean's smile widened.
"Oh," Laura smiled at them and looked at Sam, brows raised questioningly. "And you…?"
Dean suddenly felt very much like helping. "Oh, he's very unattached right now." Sam looked mortified.
"And there is mistletoe over the door," Cas suggested. Dean turned to him, "Cas! So not subtle!" Cas slowly shook his head. " 'He's very unattached right now'," Cas imitated Dean's tone. "I learned all my social skills from you, Dean."
Laura laughed. "You guys are adorable!"
Sam's smugness was a tiny bit vindictive. "I know. Aren't they just?"
-oOo-
Laura discovered that keeping Gabriel (and herself) out of the dessert had been a task beyond Sophie's capabilities. Pressed for the dessert recipe by Gabriel, Laura had admitted that it was just a layer of purchased chocolate chip cookie dough, a layer of canned caramel filling, a sprinkling of chocolate chips and a layer of marshmallows, before baking it on low for fifteen minutes.* Gabriel thought it was pure genius and made everyone groan by suggesting it should be eaten with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
-oOo-
Sophie had slowly edged her way closer to the couch Cas and Dean occupied. Finally she leaned against the armrest on Cas' side. "You have funny eyes," she declared. Cas considered this carefully. "I believe they're considered normal by most people."
Dean leaned forward to see past Cas and answered, "It's not his eyes. It's the way he looks at you." She nodded quickly in agreement. Dean's lips curved victoriously at Cas. Sophie climbed onto the couch next to Cas, where they proceeded to stare at each other unnaturally. She finally crashed from her dessert-induced sugar high and fell asleep with her head against Cas' arm.
Dean stretched his arm along the back of the couch and hugged Cas' shoulder. "You're not getting broody, are you?" Cas rolled his head in Dean's direction. "If I understand your meaning correctly, I don't think so. I do feel protective towards children. This one is … odd. But I like her honesty."
Dean brought his hand down next to Cas' and twined their fingers together. "Sounds like someone else I know."
-oOo-
Bobby, rapidly running out of 'give-a-damn', helped get rid of the last of Sam's guests. "Thanks for comin'. Merry Christmas." He shut the door after the last drunken reveller. "Jackass."
There was a knock on the door almost immediately. Bobby yanked it open muttering a curse. Sam stood there smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, Bobby. I was just dropping Laura and Sophie home."
"I know. Saw you carrying the kid. I thought you were that Travis again. As the Lord is my witness, I wanted to beat that idjit into submission. How many more years of experience have I got? You'd think - having actually been in a relationship with a woman- I might have some valuable insight. I'd forgotten what teenaged boys can be like." He scowled at Sam accusingly. He rubbed his bearded face as he slumped onto the couch in the empty space on the other side of Cas.
Cas earned a nod of thanks when he handed Bobby a beer. Bobby propped his feet up on the old chest that served as a coffee table. "Thank Christ, this only happens once a year."
* Kids, don't try this at home!