Author's Note: Hello everyone. If you celebrate a holiday this time of year, I hope you've had a great one. I also wish you a great new year.
Thank you for all of the comments and reviews. Please keep them coming.
I wish I could say that I'll have the next chapter posted soon. I have plans for it and possibly the next couple of chapters, depending on how things go when I start writing them. I just don't know when I'll have time to write them. As usual, my personal life is busy with family and work obligations. Plus (and I'm going to make a shameless plug here), I've started a new John Winchester centered fic called Don't Poke the Bear. I need to spend some time writing it as well.
CHAPTER 20
It was close to midnight when the Winchester brothers and Krissy entered the bunker from the underground garage. Krissy was barely awake and stumbled over the threshold and would have fallen if Dean hadn't reacted quickly enough to catch her.
"Whoa, kid, you're asleep on your feet. You going to be able to make it down the stairs and to your room on your own?"
Krissy nodded, although she wasn't completely sure she could make it.
Dean studied her face and responded "uh huh." He pulled off the backpack she had slung over her right shoulder and handed it to Sam. He took her arm in a gentle grip and guided her down the stairs to the map room. Sam followed closely behind.
Jody had invited them to spend the night with her then make the rest of the trip home the next day, but Krissy had said she wanted to sleep in her own bed. She seemed so pathetic with her injured arm and the sleepiness brought on by the pain medication Sam had given her that they let her have her way.
Now, Sam was wondering if they'd made the right decision. Krissy did seem to be more alert after getting up and moving around some, but he could tell she was completely wiped out. "Why don't you get ready for bed," he suggested gently. "If you want something for your arm, I think it's time to switch to ibuprofen. There should be some in your medicine cabinet."
Krissy nodded. "Yeah, okay." She was exhausted, not only from the lingering effects of the hunt and having her arm stitched back together the day before, but also from the long trip, and the side effects of the pain medication Sam had insisted she take. As much as she hated the way it made her feel, she was thankful she'd taken it because her arm was incredibly sore. She could only imagine how bad the pain would have been without it. The tylenol three had kept the pain at a manageable level, but she could definitely tell when it was time for her next dose.
She moved to take her backpack from Sam, but he held it away from her reach. "Go start getting ready. I'll be down in a few minutes to check on you. I'll bring it then." He knew there wasn't anything in it that she would need before morning. He'd made sure she had a travel set of toiletries that were always ready to go and a set she kept in the bunker.
Sam watched as she made her way a little groggily across the room and into the dormitory corridor. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to Dean. "We need to make some plans for this coming week. School starts in two weeks, so we need to go pick up her books and supplies. Plus, her birthday is on Friday. We need to do something to make it special."
Dean stretched to loosen muscles that had stiffened up during the long drive and yawned. "I'm planning to go out tomorrow night. You can take care of the school stuff and the plans for her birthday. Just tell me what I need to do."
Sam sighed and shook his head. Jody had told him what she and Dean had talked about, and this would be the perfect time for some bonding. "Don't you think you ought to be a little more involved than that. It wouldn't kill you to go with us to the school and introduce yourself. That way if something happens and one of us has to go in, they won't question your presence."
Dean rubbed his hands over his face. He was too tired to think about this now. "It's online school, why would we get called in?" When Sam just glared at him, he sighed. "Okay, fine, we can talk about it tomorrow. I'm going to bed." With that, he turned on his heel and followed Krissy's path toward his bedroom.
Sam sighed. Except for his occasional nights out to drink and find a woman willing to share her bed with him, Dean was essentially a hermit when it came to social activities. He picked up Krissy's backpack and slung it over his shoulder before grabbing his own duffle and followed Dean down the corridor toward the bedrooms.
Although he came to Krissy's room first, he passed it by on the way to his own room. He dropped his duffle on his desk and looked longingly at his bed. First things first, he thought with a sigh and turned to head back toward Krissy's room.
Her door was slightly ajar, but he knocked lightly and waited to hear her muffled "come in" before he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Krissy was sitting up in her bed, scrolling through her phone. She was dressed in pajamas, and her arm was free from it's sling. She looked up as Sam entered.
He put her backpack on her desk and turned to look at her. "DId you find the ibuprofen?" he asked.
"Yeah, I took two," she responded as she shut down her phone and put it on the nightstand.
"Good," Sam said. He turned to lean against her desk, his hands braced beside his hips and his long legs crossed at the ankle. "I want you to sleep in tomorrow. You need the rest. Come find me when you get up. I'll cover your arm so you can take a shower." He straightened when Krissy nodded. "Sleep well," he said as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
The next morning Sam was nursing his third cup of coffee when Dean made his way into the kitchen and stumbled to the waiting coffee pot. He filled a heavy white mug with the strong, black brew before taking a seat at the table across from his brother.
"I checked on Krissy as I came through. She's still sound asleep."
"Good, she needs the rest," Sam responded as he took a sip of his coffee. He laid the book he'd been reading on the table and studied his brother for a minute. "So, about plans for this week." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I'm going out tonight. I thought we established that," Dean said as he scrubbed a hand through his hair and stretched.
"I get that, but today is Saturday. Krissy's birthday is on Friday. At some point this week, we need to go by her school and get her books. I'd rather not wait until Friday to do that. I'd like you to go with us to show her that her education is important to you, too."
Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. "What do you mean, important to me, too? Where are you getting that shit from? I'm all for her getting an education. you know that ."
"You know that, and I know that. But, does she know that?"
"Why wouldn't she?" Dean asked, somewhat confused.
"Why would she?" Sam countered. "You haven't had any part of it so far beyond the discussion about whether she would attend classes online or in person." He paused to gather his thoughts for a moment before continuing. "We need to show her that we're united about her education and that we both support her. In order to do that, you have to participate in the process."
Dean grunted. He wasn't happy about it, but Sam had a point.
"Dean?" Sam pressed.
"Alright, alright," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'll go -- but only because it's for the kid." Dean pointed his finger at Sam as if emphasizing his point.
"That's all I'm asking." Sam's tone of voice was conciliatory, as if he were acknowledging the perceived sacrifice his brother was making. "Now, about her birthday."
"Yeah, what about it?"
Sam sighed. Dean was in a mood, and it was going to be like beating his head against a rock to work out plans. "I thought I'd order a smart tv for her to have for her room from both of us. You can pick it up from the store on your way home tomorrow. If you want to get her something separate, you can. I plan on taking her by the bookstore and letting her pick out a few new books."
Dean nodded. He wasn't going to argue Sam's unspoken point that they needed to make this birthday special for Krissy. It was her first one since coming to stay with them, and likely the first one she'd really celebrated since her father's death.
"Then, I thought we could take her out to eat somewhere other than the diner on Friday. Maybe we'd even let her pick."
Dean drained the last of the coffee from his mug before rising to his feet and moving to refill it. "Yeah, okay, that sounds like a plan."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Sam suddenly woke from a deep sleep. He looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was and what had woken him. It took him a moment or two before he remembered he was in the spare bedroom next to Krissy's. Since Dean was spending the night elsewhere, he wanted to be close in case she had any problems during the night.
He heard what sounded like crying coming from the next room and realized that must have been what had awakened him. He climbed out of bed and padded, barefoot, out of his room and to her door. It was slightly ajar, so he eased it open and peered in. Krissy was lying on her side in the middle of the bed and was quietly crying.
Sam couldn't tell from his vantage point whether she was awake or if she was still asleep. He entered the room and sat down on the side of her bed. Krissy immediately rolled over, and he lifted her so that she was cradled in his lap with his arms around her and her head tucked under his chin. He made soothing noises as he ran one hand down her back.
They stayed that way for several minutes until Krissy calmed down enough to talk. "I dreamed about the cougar," she said. Her voice was so soft that Sam almost didn't hear her.
"What about it?"
"It attacked me, but Jody wasn't fast enough. It got to me before she could shoot it. I was able to stab it, but it still ripped out my throat. I died in Dean's arms." A shudder ran through her body, and she burrowed into the comfort of Sam's strong chest and arms. "I could have died, Sam."
"Shhh, sweetie," he soothed as he rocked her back and forth. "It was just a bad dream. Jody got there in time, and you're perfectly safe. Nothing can get to you here. Neither Dean nor I will allow it." Krissy nodded her agreement against his chest.
Sam continued to cuddle her until he felt her body relax into his own. He shifted until he could look down into her face. Realizing that she had fallen asleep, he eased her back onto the bed and pulled the covers up until he could tuck them around her shoulders. He left both her door and his own ajar so he could hear her if she had any other dreams and returned to his own bed. Sleep didn't come right away, though. Instead he laid awake, staring at the ceiling, and contemplating how horribly wrong their encounter with the shapeshifter could have gone.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Dean returned to the bunker shortly after noon the next day. He spotted Krissy sitting in an armchair in the library, apparently lost in a book. She hadn't even appeared to have noticed the scrapping of the heavy door on the stone entryway. He grinned at the sight as he passed by.
He hadn't seen Sam in the library, so he made his way to the kitchen. He found his brother exactly where he expected. Sam was sitting at the table, a half empty beer bottle and dirty plate sat in front of him, and he was studying something on his laptop screen.
"So, how'd things go last night?" Dean asked as he sank down into a chair across the table.
"I ought to be asking you that," Sam commented as he closed the laptop and picked up his beer to take a drink.
Dean shrugged. "Had a few drinks, met a willing woman and went back to her place. I picked up the package. It's in the trunk."
Sam nodded. "One of us can bring it in after she goes to bed." He sat back in his chair. "She had a nightmare last night."
Dean stiffened, suddenly feeling guilty that he'd spent the night elsewhere. "What about?"
"The cougar attack," Sam replied, and he proceeded to relate what Krissy had told him. "Don't worry. I stayed with her until she fell back asleep." He sighed. "I think she realized how close she came to being killed."
Dean rose from his seat and moved to the refrigerator to grab a beer of his own. He had to take a minute to process what Sam had said. He knew how close she had actually been to dying during the attack from the shifter, and the thought of it terrified him. A few moments later he resumed his seat at the table. "Maybe that will make her less anxious to hunt," he commented drily as he drained half the bottle in a single swallow. He took a deep breath and asked, "so, what are the plans for the week?"
Sam shrugged. "We still need to discuss them."
Dean debated getting up and going to the kitchen door to yell for Krissy to join them. Instead, he pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text that read simply "come to the kitchen."
A few minutes later, Krissy stepped into the room and plopped down in one of the remaining chairs. "Ever hear of saying please?" she demanded, giving Dean a dirty look.
"Who says it was a request?" Dean countered, implying that the text had been an order and a please wasn't necessary.
Krissy opened her mouth to offer a retort, but she was immediately cut off by Sam. "Enough," he said a little sternly, glaring at his brother and the teenager. "We need to make plans for this week, not snipe at each other."
"What kind of plans?" Krissy was suddenly suspicious.
"School starts a week from Monday, so we have to go by the high school to pick up your books and go shopping for school supplies. Then we need to talk about going out to dinner for somebody's birthday on Friday."
A jolt of surprise and pleasure hit Krissy at the thought that not only had her guardians bothered to learn when her birthday was, but they remembered and were going to celebrate it.
Sam gave Krissy a grin to acknowledge her surprise and continued. "I figure all three of us could go pick up your books on Tuesday, then you and I can go out on Wednesday to do some school shopping, and maybe have lunch and stop at the bookstore in town." He felt his own sense of joy at the way Krissy's face lit up at the mention of the bookstore. "Since it's your birthday we're going to be celebrating on Friday, we thought we'd let you pick the restaurant." Sam glanced over at Dean, who nodded his agreement.
"Really?"
Dean felt his heart crack at the mixture of caution and excitement in her voice. It was like she wasn't sure the plans were actually going to happen and was afraid she'd be left disappointed in the end. He remembered all the missed birthdays and lonely holidays he and Sam had spent by themselves in crappy motel rooms because their dad was too busy with a hunt to be bothered. He couldn't help but wonder how much of that Krissy had experienced. He promised himself then and there that he and Sam were going to make sure Krissy never experienced it again.
"Really," he responded as he pulled the teenager into a hug. "Tell you what," he said as he dropped a quick kiss onto the top of her head before letting her go. "Don't go crazy and pick someplace crazy expensive or super fancy, but you pick where you want to go anywhere within an hour's drive."
"Thank you, Dean!" She hugged him again before running around the table to do the same with Sam. "This is going to be the best birthday ever!"
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Later that afternoon Dean sought Krissy out. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about Sam's revelation about Krissy's nightmare, and he'd come to a decision. "Hey, kiddo," he said as he knocked on the frame of her open bedroom door to get her attention. She was sitting on her bed, wearing earbuds and watching something on her computer.
Krissy jumped slightly at the sound. She was concentrating on the show she was watching and hadn't realized Dean was there. "What's up?" she asked curiously as she paused the program and removed the earbuds she'd been wearing. The look on Dean's face was serious, and she tried to remember anything she could have done to warrant being in trouble.
Dean entered the room and pulled her desk chair around so he could sit beside her bed. He had to bite back a curse when he saw Krissy's eyes widen and a flash of fear in them. At that moment he realized that Jody had been right. The teenager sitting in front of him had no reason to think he was planning to do anything other than mete out some form of discipline. He silently promised himself and her that was going to change.
"You aren't in trouble," he said gently, "I just want to talk to you about something." He forced himself not to react when Krissy relaxed slightly at his statement.
"About what?" she asked cautiously.
"Sam told me about your nightmare."
Krissy didn't say anything in response, but merely continued to watch Dean. She was trying to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to talk about.
Dean sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, kiddo, I'm not good with putting my thoughts into words. That's Sammy's thing. What I've got to say is going to sound like a lecture, but I don't mean it that way. I just don't know any other way to say it."
"Oooookaaaaay," Krissy said, drawing out the word uncertainty. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what was on his mind.
"I think you realize that you got a first hand demonstration of how dangerous hunting can be. And just how damned close you came to dying at the hands of that fucking shifter." His voice had grown harder and louder with each word. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down before continuing. "Things can go from zero to sixty in a blink of an eye, and you can't always be prepared to do anything more than react to the situation the best you can and hope you survive it."
"Yeah, I guess." Krissy wasn't sure she was going to like where this was headed. But, she had to agree with Dean on one thing, it definitely sounded like he was lecturing her.
"You guess?" Dean repeated. He shook his head, reminding himself that he wasn't supposed to be chewing her out. He held up his hand as a combination of conciliatory gesture and to forestall her response.
"What I'm trying to get at here is that you may want to think about whether or not you really want to face that kind of risk on a pretty regular basis as a hunter. There's a reason very few hunters live to old age unless they retire before they slow down too much."
Krissy nodded. She was confused and concerned about where he might be going with this. "Are you …?"
"Am I what?" Dean prompted when Krissy didn't continue.
"Going to stop teaching me to hunt?" She asked in a quiet voice.
Dean smiled slightly and rose from his chair. He could see where she might have gotten that idea. He moved to sit beside Krissy and put his arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her into his side. "No, kiddo, I'm not. You and I will resume our training sessions when your arm is healed. You'll need to talk to Sam about when he's going to start back with your lore and latin lessons. He may want to wait until you've gotten settled into a routine with school."
He released his hold on Krissy and shifted so that he was facing her. "What I'm saying is that you may want to consider whether or not you actually want to be a hunter and constantly risk your life that way. If you want to fight the supernatural, there are other ways you can do it."
"Like what?"
"We knew a woman named Ellen who ran a road house that catered to hunters. She had a guy named Ashe working for her who would do research for hunters. You knew Bobby Singer?"
"Yeah," Krissy responded.
"He did the same thing. He'd supply information, pretend to be law enforcement higher ups, or track down obscure weapons. A lot of hunters' jobs have been harder since he died. Charlie provides IT support for us. So, you see, you don't have to actively hunt to fight the monsters," Dean said seriously. He paused a moment to let Krissy absorb what he'd said before he stood and put the desk chair back in its place in front of the desk. "Just think about what I said, okay?
Krissy nodded. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I'm asking," he said as he patted the door frame before leaving the room.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Sam sighed as he looked over at his brother and Krissy a moment before he pulled open the door to the lobby of the high school. Krissy was dressed in what he figured was typical teenage fashion of shorts and a t-shirt. He hadn't insisted she dress up since they were just picking up her books. In fact, he was dressed casually as well. But Dean had taken casual a little too far. He was dressed in the same jeans and old t-shirt he'd been wearing earlier that morning while tinkering around with the engine of one of the old motorcycles they'd found in the bunker's garage. There was a streak of oil on his jeans and a hole in the hem of the shirt.
The two men followed Krissy to the front office, where they had been instructed to pick up her books.
"Good afternoon, Krissy, Mr. Winchester," the same middle aged woman who greeted them at the front desk the last time they were there greeted them again as they entered the front office. Sam nodded and gave her a grin to show his appreciation for her remembering their names after a single previous meeting. "And who is this," she asked, looking in Dean's direction.
"This is my other uncle, Dean Winchester," Krissy said, introducing him.
The older woman nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Winchester." She gestured toward the row of chairs nearby. "Have a seat. Mrs. Stockton wanted to talk to you when you came in. I'll let her know you're here."
"Who's Mrs. Stockton, and why does she want to meet with us?" Dean questioned, feeling a slight case of panic as childhood memories of trips to the principal's office came to mind.
"Oh," the woman said, a little surprised at Dean's reaction. "She likes to meet with all of the home school students when they come in to pick up their books. There's not that many. That's why we have you come to the office to do it."
Mrs. Stockton chose that moment to open her office door. "Misters Winchester, Miss Chambers, please step into my office." She stepped back from the door and gestured for them to proceed her into the room.
She guided them to a small conference room off from her office, since she only had two visitors chairs in front of her desk. "Sam and Krissy, it's good to see you again." She turned and held her hand out to Dean. "And you must be Dean. I'm Marissa Stockton."
"Yes, Ma'am," Dean responded as he shook her hand. He could easily envision his woman grilling his younger brother, and he almost felt bad about giving Sam a hard time about it.
"Orlie Cox said to tell you hello, by the way. You've got an open invitation to stop by his farm to visit. He'd like to meet John Winchester's boys."
Dean nodded as he took a seat. "Dad talked about him a time or two. Said he's a good man. We'll try to get over there to visit soon."
Mrs. Stockton nodded in acknowledgement of his words. She turned her gaze to Krissy and studied the bandage that peaked out from her left shirt sleeve. "Have you been out hunting lately?" Krissy had chosen not to wear the sling because she didn't want to draw anymore attention to her arm then necessary.
Krissy looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching vehicle for a moment before she realized that the bandage had given her away. "They took me on a hunt in North Dakota. I did most of the research. This happened afterward. I fell against a boulder while we were hiking and cut my arm." She wove a mixture of truth and the story they had fabricated to explain her injury.
Mrs. Stockton sighed. She knew she wasn't being told the full truth, but she had to trust that the Winchester brothers weren't allowing Krissy to take too many unnecessary risks. She did have to give them some leeway, considering what they did for a living and their willingness to take Krissy in and protect her.
"I like to meet with the homeschooled students when they come in to pick up their books. For most, it's the only time during the school year I really get to interact with them. "
Sam nodded his understanding. "I received the email with her class schedule and the syllabus for each class this morning."
"Good," Mrs. Stockton stated. "I was going to ask if you had received that. Keep in touch with her teachers. They've been told a little of Krissy's background – that you've come to live with your uncles after the death of your father. They don't know anything about the supernatural or hunters. They have been told that you travel a lot for your work and that Krissy will sometimes be traveling with you. Thus, the need for homeschooling." The principal eyed Krissy for a moment. "I did not share with them that you essentially dropped out of school last year. I want them to form their own impressions of you and your abilities and not base them on what you've done in the past. This is your chance to start over with a clean slate, make use of it."
"That sounds good to me," Sam commented as he eyed Krissy, clearly communicating to Krissy that he expected her to take full advantage of the opportunity that had been presented to her.
"Yes, ma'am," Krissy responded quietly, fully understanding the meaning of Sam's look.
"What do you think, Dean? You've been quiet during this conversation," Mrs. Stockton commented. "Is Krissy's education as important to you as it is to Sam?"
Dean squirmed in his seat at the principal's question. Sam and Krissy both had to work to hide their grins, but for very different reasons. Sam had to hide his because of the very recent conversation he had Dean had had on that very same topic. If pressed, though, he would have also said it was nice to see his brother being the one grilled for once. Krissy was just enjoying the show, but she did have to admit she was curious about his response.
"Well, you see, I didn't do very well with school. That was more Sammy's thing," he said as he inclined his head in his brother's direction. "He got a full ride to Stanford, despite how we grew up, and I got a GED." He met Mrs. Stockton's gaze evenly. "So it's not that Krissy's education isn't important to me, because it is. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't. It's just that I also believe in leaving some things to the experts, and this is one of those things." He turned his gaze on Krissy, so she would have no doubt about his next words. "And I fully back any recommendation or decision he might make."
Mrs. Stockton smiled. "Good," she commented. "I have no doubt, then, that Krissy will be successful in all of her academic endeavors." She turned to Krissy and studied her for a moment before continuing. " I sent you a welcome email. My contact information is in it. Usually, I'd refer students to our counseling staff if they have issues or need to talk to someone. But your situation is unique, so I am extending an open invitation for you to contact me about anything you may need. I grew up in the hunting life, so there's not a lot that will surprise me. She glanced over at the Winchesters. "And unless I think it's something they need to know to be able to protect you from something that's a matter of life or death, anything you tell me will be confidential."
Krissy nodded. "Thanks, Mrs. Stockton. I may take you up on that."
"I really hope you will, Krissy. I wouldn't have extended to offer otherwise." Mrs. Stockton stood and waited for the others to rise as well before she gestured toward the door to her office. "Good luck with your studies," she said as she opened the door to allow Krissy and the Winchesters to leave her office.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
"We've got one more stop to make," Sam announced as he pulled out of the parking lot of the diner where they'd eaten luck after shopping for school supplies.
"Where's that?" Krissy was curious. When they'd left the bunker that morning the only things Sam had mentioned were going to the department store to get her school stuff and then to lunch. She didn't mind the extra stop. She actually liked spending time with Sam. He would talk to her about books and movies or just life in general, or if she wasn't in the mood to talk, he'd let her be, making no demands on her.
"It's a surprise," Sam responded and grinned. "I think you'll like it."
Krissy's curiosity was peaked when, a few minutes later, Sam took the branch of the Y junction that led into the small business district of the city of Lebanon rather than taking the other branch that eventually led to the bunker. Only a few more minutes passed before Sam slid the Impala into a parking place along the street in front of a row of buildings that appeared to old houses that had been converted into small shops and professional offices.
Sam shifted in his seat and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He withdrew three ten dollar bills and held them out to Krissy. She took them as she asked, "what's this for?"
Sam grinned at her . "Happy birthday a few days early." He gestured toward a shop about halfway down the block that had a wooden sign that read "Turn the Page." The sign hung down from a decorative wrought iron bar that jutted out from the building. "I thought you might like to pick out a few new books."
"Really?" Krissy was excited at the thought of getting new reading material. And, she had to admit to herself (even if she would die before admitting it outloud), she was pleased Sam was taking the time to acknowledge her birthday. She had expected them to not acknowledge it at all.
"Really." Sam confirmed. Her pleasure and surprise at the idea of getting a few new books for her birthday made him wonder how many times in the past her birthday had come and gone without acknowledgement. He knew, for himself, it was often only Dean who would help Sam celebrate his birthday while their dad was too busy with hunting to acknowledge it. "I think you'll like this shop," he said as he opened his car door and stepped out of the Impala. "Julie sells a little of everything," once they were both on the sidewalk. "If there's something you want, and she doesn't have it in stock, she'll order it for you. She's done that for me a few times."
"Sounds great." Krissy began racking her brain to try to remember if there were any particular books she wanted. Her mind went blank, and by the time they reached the front door of the shop, she'd decided to just look to see what she could find.
"Hi, Sam," Julie, the bookstore's owner greeted as she looked up from the sale she was ringing up. "I'll be with you all in just a moment."
"No rush," Sam said as he ushered Krissy in front of him into the store. "Take your time. We're going to look around."
The building that housed the bookstore had begun its life as a small, two story home. Over the years it had been converted to first a set of offices, then into a retail space with an apartment on the second floor. The front door led into a good sized foyer that housed the checkout counter along one wall and a small area for selling coffee and tea along the opposite wall. At the back of the room there were two doorways, one at the back of the room that was closed and bore a sign that indicated it was for employees only. The second door was just a few feet past the end of the coffee counter.
Sam steered Krissy toward the door at the end of the coffee counter. Her mouth gaped open when she stepped through the doorway into a large room filled with shelves upon shelves of books. There was a fireplace along one wall, with a couch and a couple of chairs sitting in front of it to create an inviting place to sit and read or carry on a conversation. The remaining walls were lined with tall bookshelves, and there were two rows of smaller bookcases in the middle of the room.
"This is the fiction room," Sam told her as he stepped into the room behind her. "The books are arranged alphabetically by author, but they aren't separated by genre." He gestured to another door at the far side of the room. "That's the room for historical and nonfiction books."
"I love it." Krissy said as she turned around in a circle so she could take in the entire room. She wasn't sure where she wanted to start.
Sam grinned. His reaction had been somewhat similar when he'd first visited the store. He still enjoyed just browsing the shelves in both rooms to see what treasures he could find. "I thought you might. Go on," he encouraged, giving her shoulder a little nudge. Krissy didn't need any additional encouragement and took off to start browsing the nearest set of shelves.
A few minutes later, Sam heard voices in the front room. He looked up just as Julie's wife, Lily entered the room. "Sam," she greeted as she came over and gave him a quick hug. "Julie said you were in here with your niece." She quickly glanced around the room and spotted the teenager about halfway across the room, studying the back of a book.
"I didn't know you were going to be in the shop today," Sam said as he stepped back so he could talk to the shorter woman without her having to crane her neck to look up at him.
"I wasn't supposed to be, but we finished with training for the day. I decided to come in and grab a cup of coffee and something sweet from Julie before I went back to work on my classroom." She glanced toward the door. "Julie had a customer come in right behind me. She'll be in as soon as she's finished."
Sam nodded and turned to glance over at Krissy. She was once again perusing the spines of the books on the shelf in front of her. "Krissy," he called her name just loudly enough to get her attention. She looked up to see what he wanted, and he could she the curiosity that crossed her features when she saw the woman standing with him. "Come over here," he said, "there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Julie had joined them by the time Krissy had made her way to where the adults were gathered. When Krissy came to stand beside Sam, he dropped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed slightly, giving her a quick side hug.
"Julie, Lily, this is my niece, Krissy. Krissy, Julie owns the bookstore. Her wife, Lily, is a teacher at the high school.
Krissy grinned at Julie. "I love your store," she said. "I could probably spend hours here."
Julie returned her smile. "Just like your uncle," she said as she glanced at Sam. "I'm glad you like it."
Krissy turned to Lily. "What do you teach?"
"Chemistry, but this year I'm also teaching one of the earth sciences classes. What year are you going to be in?"
"I'm a freshman."
"Really?" Lily responded. There was a note of curiosity in her voice. "Your last name wouldn't happen to be Chambers, would it?"
"Why?" Krissy asked, suddenly suspicious. Sam's hand tightened on her shoulder, but she wasn't sure if he meant it as a warning or as a gesture of support.
"I'm just curious. There's a new student with that name in my earth sciences class. We don't get very many new students here, especially new ones in the home schooling program." She shrugged as if indicating that it wasn't a huge leap to connect the teenager standing in front of her to the new student on her class roster.
"The teacher for that class was just listed as Conley on the schedule I received," Krissy responded, somewhat pacified at her explanation.
Lily smiled. "That's me. Lily Conley. It's n8ce to meet you, Krissy Chambers." She held her hand out for Krissy to shake. "I'm looking forward to having you in class. I think you'll enjoy it. I have some interesting things planned."
Krissy returned her smile. "I'm sure I will," she said politely, although she was skeptical that earth sciences could be made interesting.
Sam patted her shoulder, silently telling her he approved of her response. "Looks like you've found some new reading material," he commented, nodding to indicate the four books in her hands. He knew that the $30, would just barely cover the cost of their purchase.
"It was hard to pick just four," Krissy responded. "But, yeah, I think I am."
"Come on, then," Julie said. "Let's get you checked out." She headed toward the door leading to the front room. "And let's get you the drink of your choice from the coffee shop, on the house, to welcome you to town," she said over her shoulder.
Krissy glanced up at Sam, who nodded his agreement. "Sounds good to me," she said, eagerly following Julie to the front room.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
"Your arm looks good," Sam commented as he smoothed the last piece of tape on her bandage. "I'd say the stitches can come out in about a week."
"I'll be glad to get rid of them," Krissy said as she pulled her shirt sleeve down into place.
"I'm sure you will be. Have you decided where you want to go for dinner tonight?" Sam watched Krissy out of the corner of his eye as he gathered the trash leftover from dressing the wounds on her arm. He didn't miss her shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"Not really," she responded quietly.
Sam moved to lean against the counter across from her. His hands were braced against the counter on either side of his hips, and his legs were crossed at the ankles. "What's up, Krissy?" he asked gently.
"The last time I went out to dinner for my birthday was right before my dad died. We went to a Mexican restaurant. They did this corny birthday thing for me." She laughed a little at the memory. "They sang Happy Birthday and put this oversized sombrero on my head. Dad laughed and took a picture. I still have it."
Sam stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest. They stayed that way for several minutes before Krissy pulled out of the hug and tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks with the heels of her hands. Sam turned and reached over to grab a tissue from the box on the counter. He handed it to her.
"We don't have to go out to dinner. We could order a pizza and bring it back here and watch movies or something."
Krissy gave him a watery smile. "Can we do that, instead?"
Sam gave her another hug. "Sure, sweetheart. It's your birthday, we'll do whatever you want. We'll even let you pick the movie. Now," he said as he stepped back. "Dean probably has breakfast ready and waiting for us. We wouldn't want it to get cold." He had made arrangements for Dean to bring her birthday gift into the kitchen while he was dressing her arm.
A few minutes later, Krissy entered the kitchen a few steps behind Sam. It took her a few seconds to register the large box sitting in the middle of the table. Dean had stuck a premade red bow to the middle of it.
"What's that?" she asked, a little confused.
"What's that?" Dean mimicked. "That's our new centerpiece. What do you think it is?"
"It's for me?" Krissy asked, turning to look at him. She had already realized the box held a small flat screen television.
"I don't know anyone else who is turning sixteen today, do you?"
"Not that I can think of," Sam responded with a touch of humor in his voice.
"Thank you!" Krissy said as she threw herself against Dean's chest and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
Dean had to take a couple of steps back in order to maintain his balance and returned her hug. "It's from both of us. Happy birthday, kiddo."
Krissy pulled away from Dean and threw herself at Sam. "Thank you for the tv and my books. And for everything else," she said quietly.
Sam leaned down and dropped a kiss on the top of her head and he returned her hug. "You're welcome."
Dean cleared his throat. "I hate to break up such a great chick flick moment, but you've got another gift to open." He held up a gift bag.
"Gimme," Krissy said with a laugh. She opened the bag and pulled out a large dark red duffle.
"I figured you could use one for when you go on a hunt. That way your backpack can stay free for your computer and books and other shit."
"Thank you, Dean," she said as she laid it on the table. "I love it." She moved to give him another hug.
A moment later, Dean shifted his grip to her upper arm. "There's only one thing left to do." He sat down in the nearby kitchen chair and pulled Krissy over his lap before she knew what was happening. "Your birthday spanking."
Krissy was stunned at the quick change in circumstances. As soon as she realized what was happening, she began struggling to free herself from Dean's hold. She'd experienced enough spankings at Dean's hands that she knew she didn't want one for her birthday. "No, Dean! Stop!" She turned to look at Sam, who had taken a seat on the other side of the table to enjoy the cup of coffee he'd just poured for himself.
Sam grinned into his cup. He knew exactly what Dean had planned. "Dean," he said mildly, not intending in any way to stop his brother.
"Remind me again how old she is today," Dean said, looking at his brother.
"Sixteen, I believe," Sam responded as he took another sip of his coffee.
"Ah, that's right," Dean said as he raised his hand.
"Dean, no!" Krissy begged again. She was confused when Dean's hand came down on her backside with a gentle pat that she barely felt.
"One,"Dean announced with a little too much glee in his voice. His hand fell again. "Two." He continued with the gentle pats until he reached sixteen swats. "And one to grow one." His hand descended in a final slap that was just hard enough to leave a slight sting behind. He pulled Krissy to her feet and back down onto his lap so he could cuddle her just as he would have had he spanked her for real. "Happy birthday, kiddo."
TBC