June 1st - 8th, 2005
"Your offspring is here."
It was late, about a week after she'd gotten back to New York, when the disgruntled voice of Ezra Purcell disturbed the peace of MACUSA's mostly deserted lab.
"I don't have offspring," Lorelai said without looking up from the spread of objects on the table in front of her. She'd been at it for hours and had gotten as far as confirming each item in front of her was cursed in some way, but identifying the individual curses was taking longer. She was currently in the middle of running diagnostics on an innocuous looking bracelet that had spiked off the charts with one of the dark detectors, and Ezra - easily the surliest of MACUSA's lab techs but Lorelai's undisputed favorite - huffed at her reply.
"Well then someone that looks very much like you and has your flagrant disregard for boundaries is sitting in my spot, eating my food." At the new information, Lorelai finally paused, letting the bracelet settle back onto the table as she lowered her wand and turned to look at Ezra.
"By food do you mean the bag of cookies I brought you?" He looked like he was about to say no, until he caught her eye and thought better of it.
"Yes."
"And by your spot you mean the couch in my office?"
"You said I could use it to take a nap if I was working late."
"And by offspring do you mean my little sister?" There was another beat and Ezra nodded.
"Yes." Lorelai rolled her eyes and waved her wand over the table, sealing it off from the others and glanced at her watch. She hadn't realized it was already past seven… closer to eight.
"You're useless," Lorelai complained, already walking off towards her office and leaving Ezra standing by the table. "Don't let anyone touch that stuff, I'll finish it tomorrow."
"What, just like that you're leaving?" he called after her, but Lorelai didn't care.
"I'm serious, Ez, some of that shit's lethal!" she hollered, just before ducking around the corner and beginning down the hall.
The building was quiet as she trekked from the lab area closer to the offices. Most everyone had left at five, but she'd been called in on a raid earlier that day and had been bogged down sifting through evidence since they'd made it back. The wizard it all belonged to was sitting in a holding cell, and Lorelai suspected he'd be lucky to avoid life in Tyranmac by the time she was finished processing everything. Lorelai's only hope was that she could build a strong enough case she could skip the court appearance.
When Lorelai finally reached her office, Katie was lounging on the couch, just as Ezra had said, open bag of cookies on the seat next to her. She looked up from the book in her hands when she heard footsteps, and Lorelai shot her an apologetic look while pulling off her lab coat.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Lost track of time. Did you eat?"
Katie rolled her eyes but nodded and motioned to the desk, where Lorelai spotted a familiar covered Pyrex dish.
"With Nick and Julia. Nick sent you a plate, said you'd probably be here late. Did you get the bad guy?"
"Always," Lorelai answered with a wink, dropping a kiss to the top of Katie's head as she passed by on her way to the desk. In addition to the Pyrex, the surface was littered with memos she'd missed throughout the day, mail that needed her attention, and reports she needed to finish. "C'mon, I'll take you for ice cream."
"Only if you actually eat dinner first."
"I'm fine," Lorelai tried to dismiss, but her stomach chose that moment to let out a particularly loud growl, and Katie settled back into the couch with a smug smile in place.
"You forgot to eat lunch again."
"Did not."
"Just eat, and then we can go get ice cream." Lorelai smirked and shook her head affectionately but dropped into the swivel chair behind her desk.
"You're no fun. Don't you know desert's always better before dinner?" she joked, and Katie shrugged.
"Wouldn't know, I already had dinner. Real question is what do you do when I'm not home?" Katie teased back. Lorelai laughed but made a mental note to set herself an alarm the next day to leave on time. She couldn't have the kid worrying about her, it was supposed to be the other way around.
In the week she'd been back in New York, Lorelai had kept herself running nonstop. She hadn't meant to, but she was finding the quiet moments to be too quiet… too still… and she didn't like the places her mind started to go when they came around. It helped that there was legitimately plenty for her to do. Nick hadn't been kidding about her backlog of paperwork, or how short staffed they were in the lab, and she'd yet to say no to a call that had come up that didn't require an overnight stay. Admittedly, she'd let herself lose sight of what it probably looked like from where Katie was sitting, and she made herself a promise to find a better balance starting immediately.
It was with that promise in mind that Lorelai found herself approaching Katie's bedroom door on Sunday morning, ignoring the voice in her head that liked to make her second-guess herself, questioning if this was really a good idea.
"What's up, Lai?" Katie asked.
"Pack your crap," Lorelai told her from the doorway, and her answer immediately had Katie looking up with wide eyes and confusion marring her features. "I've got a case in Hershey and you're coming with me. Should be a pretty easy one, and I booked a room at the park's hotel."
The younger girl's confusion immediately gave way to excitement, and Lorelai couldn't help but note the kid had her mother's smile. Amelia Benson hadn't been the best stepmother, but she'd done her best, and Lorelai had loved her dearly. It had been memories of Amelia dragging her and the rest of her siblings to every theme park she could think of during summer vacations that had even given Lorelai this idea in the first place.
"Seriously?" Lorelai nodded but quickly pointed at Katie's wand, sitting carelessly a few feet away atop her dresser.
"Yes, but your wand stays on you at all times, and you don't leave the hotel room without me until I've got everything under control. We clear?"
"Yes! Deal! How long are we staying?"
"Few days. We leave in an hour, get packing."
It was the first time she'd ever let Katie come with her while she worked, and Lorelai was relieved when it went as smoothly as she'd been hoping. The case itself was easy – banshee picking off kids at the children's hospital. It took a day of research – which Katie was eager to help with – some Confundus Charms, and posing as a security guard to get access to the security cameras. It was around 4am when the banshee tried to go after a little girl on the sixth floor. Gripping a gold dagger in one hand and her wand in the other, Lorelai spun on the spot and Apparated into the room, swiftly plunging the knife into the creature's chest. The little girl was frightened, but Lorelai quickly Disillusioned the body and convinced the girl to drink some water – water which she had laced with a Calming Draught.
When she eventually crawled into bed at 6am, she quickly burrowed her head between the pillows to block out the growing sunlight and sleepily told Katie to try her again at 10am, with coffee, when Katie tried to wake her up only a half hour after she'd gotten in.
After Katie's lunch – Lorelai's breakfast – they went to the pool, and Lorelai scratched out her notes to go in the case file and for the report at one of the poolside tables while Katie enjoyed the rare opportunity to dip her toes in the water. Lorelai smiled when she noticed Katie making friends with some of the other girls that looked to be about her age, and hastily shoved her paperwork away when one of the moms came to sit down with her.
Around dinner time she felt her phone vibrate, a short burst letting her know she had a text message. She refused to be disappointed when she saw it was only from Olivia, asking if they could grab drinks when she got back to New York. She wasn't bothered that she hadn't heard from Dean. It was what she had asked for, after all. Katie asking if it was him when Lorelai pulled out her phone was the only reason she'd even thought about it anyway.
"Wizards are missing out," Katie whispered the next day as they disembarked Storm Runner and passed by the line stretching well past the intended start of the queue. "This place is awesome."
"I don't disagree, kid," Lorelai laughed. "Wait until we hit the chocolate tour. Honeydukes doesn't have anything like it."
Katie's enthusiasm only continued to soar as they walked the themed streets, each attraction bringing a sparkle to her eye. The mood was contagious, and Lorelai felt the weight of the last few weeks lightening, even if only temporarily. They spent the afternoon riding roller coasters, spinning on teacups, and scoping out the best junk food. It took some coaxing, but Lorelai eventually pulled Katie into competing with her to point out the most ludicrous outfits worn by the other parkgoers.
"I still feel like the people dressed up like candy bars should be fair game," Katie complained as dusk began to settle over the park, painting the sky in strokes of orange and purple. Each of them had a large soft pretzel in hand as they headed towards the Chocolate World building.
"You're just sore because you couldn't top the three-hundred-pound dude in a pink neon track suit," Lorelai quipped, and Katie shook her head, trying and failing to hold back a laugh.
"That wasn't even fair. We were judging outfits, not people, and if he was a little less…"
"If he wasn't fat?"
"Lai!" Lorelai shrugged and broke off another piece of pretzel.
"Just callin' it like it is."
"I'm just saying, the outfit wouldn't have been as ridiculous on someone else," Katie finished, and Lorelai scoffed.
"Sure, maybe on a six-year-old girl. The thing had butterflies on it. And he had a beard ZZ Top would have appreciated."
It wasn't until they bought what felt like half the gift shop that they decided to call it a night, and Lorelai was immensely relieved to be able to shove everything into her magically expanded bag, and only have to hold onto Katie's hand to Apparate them back home. It was hard to beat the convenience of magic.
The apartment was dark when they got there, but Lorelai was happy it didn't feel empty the way it had the few times she'd stopped in during the school year. It illuminated quickly though, as they walked through the living room to the kitchen, switching on lights as they went. They'd been there since Lorelai had taken the MACUSA job, and it was bigger than the flat they'd had in London, but much plainer. There were a few personal touches scattered around – photos on the wall, a mix of stills and magic ones; her books, crammed into the bookcases in the living room alongside their numerous blankets and pillows; piles of records and CDs; her eclectic collection of coffee mugs, Katie's makeshift garden by the windowsill, and Julia's attempts at art covering the fridge. The walls were still the same neutral tones they'd been when she and Katie moved in, though, and most of her personal effects were still shoved in a box somewhere in the back of her closet.
Lorelai dropped her bag onto the kitchen table, where it made a sound inconsistent with its outward appearance, and stretched.
"Merlin, I'm starving," she complained. "We should have stopped off at the bodega before we came up here." Katie, already elbow deep in the bag, looked at her incredulously.
"We just ate our collective weight in sweets, and you want more?" Lorelai shrugged and pulled the refrigerator door open, giving it a half-hearted sniff. She'd definitely need to clean it out in the morning.
"I didn't say more sweets. Oh, how about this. You want some?" She straightened back up and held out the container of pulled pork from her lunch just before they'd left. Katie scrunched her nose and turned her attention back to the bag.
"Gross."
"Suit yourself." They fell into an easy rhythm for the next few minutes, settling back in, Katie unpacking things while Lorelai snacked and flipped through mail she assumed Nick had left for her on the counter. Most of what came to her home was junk, but there were a few bills she made a mental note to take care of in the morning.
"So, if you get a case in Orlando, does that mean we get to go to Disney World?" Katie asked a few minutes later. Lorelai snorted, glancing over her shoulder to look where she was still putting the last few items from their haul into the pantry.
"Guess I can't fault your logic, but we'll see." Katie grinned back at her and shrugged.
"Can't blame a girl for trying." She dropped the last box of candy onto the shelf and closed the pantry door before turning around while Lorelai pitched the now empty container from her leftovers into the trash. Katie looked happy, but the exhaustion of the last few days still shone through, and Lorelai was glad they were back home.
"You heading to bed?" Katie nodded, grabbing for her own bag off the kitchen table.
"Oh yeah. I'll see you in the morning."
"Sounds good. 'Night."
"Night!"
Lorelai watched Katie retreat out of the kitchen towards the bedroom but frowned curiously when the pre-teen stopped and turned around. Her features were suddenly a little softer, but she seemed hesitant.
"What's up?" Lorelai asked encouragingly. Katie took a breath, her eyes darting down while she chewed on her bottom lip, until she finally looked back up. Lorelai began to take a step forward, but stopped when Katie opened her mouth.
"I just wanted to thank you. Today was a lot of fun, and it was really cool getting to go with you and see a little more of what you do. I get why you usually leave me at home, but this was a lot better. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks."
Eyes wide with surprise, Lorelai went to reply, but before she could say anything Katie had turned around and hurried off towards the bedrooms, her footsteps fading quickly as she got deeper into the apartment.
Five minutes later, Lorelai found herself dropping onto her couch, beer in hand and feeling oddly restless while her things unpacked themselves in her room. Despite being in the city, her apartment was quiet and still, magically insulated from the sounds of the outside world. At one point, she'd thought about charming it to sound like her old apartment at Lytton – it was the longest she'd called anywhere home – but she'd never gotten around to it.
Eventually she pulled out her phone, checking for messages she already knew she didn't have, and continued to mindlessly poke around until she landed somewhere in her contacts – Dean Winchester. Lorelai sighed and took a sip of her drink, her thumb hovering over the button on her phone. It had been just under two weeks since they'd parted ways, and since she'd found out he was John Winchester's son, rather than just some mechanic. It was the metaphorical nail in the coffin to what she'd already known was doomed. Still, she would have been lying if she said the man hadn't crossed her mind, despite her resolution to put him behind her.
Her opinion hadn't changed in their time apart. Getting any further involved was dangerous – and not just because she'd written off her luck with romance as catastrophic. John was a damn good hunter, and MACUSA's understanding was that he'd trained his sons well. John also didn't work well with other hunters, had a reputation for shoot first ask questions later, and was highly skeptical of anything supernatural – friendly or not. Lorelai had good reason to fear, especially after seeing firsthand how well-trained Dean was in the field, that in addition to passing on technical know-how and skills, that John would have taught his sons these beliefs as well.
Still, there was some pull in her gut that just wouldn't let her completely turn away. He shouldn't have even been a contact in her phone, she should have deleted it the moment she got back to New York. But she hadn't been able to, just like she hadn't been able to bring herself to contradict him when he'd theorized that her reservations about continuing to see one another had nothing to do with how she felt for him.
Taking another gulp of the beer, she pressed the call button, closing her eyes while she felt the cool liquid make its way down her throat and she brought the phone up to her ear. It was impulsive, and the knot in her stomach was ridiculous, but there was a fluttering in her chest she hadn't felt in ages, and as she sat there listening to the rings the two feelings warred with one another.
"Lor?" He'd answered on the third ring, and Lorelai mentally cursed herself at the jolt that went through her hearing the sound of his voice.
"Hey, Dean," she replied in the way of an answer. She could hear the familiar rumble of his Impala in the background, and realized he was likely driving.
"You alright?" he asked, concern laced through his voice. Suddenly it occurred to her what a monumentally stupid idea this had been. It wasn't just that she shouldn't be talking to him – she had no idea what he was doing. For all she knew he was in the car with his father. Or in the middle of a case.
"Yeah, yeah," she assured him quickly. "I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you at a –"
"You didn't," Dean cut in firmly. "I was just surprised, is all. Good surprised, but surprised. I didn't think I was gonna hear from you again." Lorelai couldn't help but snort.
"That makes two of us." Dean chuckled on the other end, and she settled further back into her couch, downing more liquid courage.
"Well I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. How're you doin'?"
"Oh, I'm alright. Just finished up dealing with a banshee in Hershey. Took Katie to Hershey Park while we were out there."
"Sounds like a good time. Do you usually take her hunting with you?" Lorelai immediately shook her head on instinct, before realizing that Dean couldn't see her.
"Fuck no," she said quickly, realizing a moment too late but not caring enough that, if she was remembering correctly, Dean had been hunting since he was much younger than Katie. "She knows what I do but I keep her out of it. This was just an easy one and I figured the kid would enjoy a vacation."
"Lucky kid," he commented lightly, and if he was at all bothered by her vehement response it wasn't noticeable. Still, Lorelai was eager to get off the subject. She didn't have an easy way to explain what Katie did and didn't know.
"How've you been?"
Dean paused for a moment before answering, and Lorelai could hear the faint sound of him switching the Impala's gears.
"Been alright. Keeping busy. Dad and I just finished up with some ghouls in West Virginia. He's cleaning up, I'm grabbing grub."
"You guys alright?" she asked before she could stop herself, and Dean's light laughter carried through the airwaves.
"Nothing we couldn't handle. Why? Worried about me?" Lorelai scoffed, downing more of her beer and settling back further into the cushions.
"As if," she muttered, and she could picture the smirk she was sure Dean was sporting.
"Uh hu, yeah alright. How about you? Any trouble with that banshee?"
"Why, you worried about me?" she teased back, and Dean chuckled again.
"Sweetheart, I haven't stopped thinking about you since I walked out your door. Worried's not quite the right word for it though."
Lorelai felt a heat rising in her face, and she bit her bottom lip, trying to convince herself that his words didn't make her stomach flip.
"Banshee went fine," she said instead, circling back to his original question. "Laid a trap, got it with a gold dagger, easy peasy. Went back to the hotel, got my four hours, and let Katie hang out by the pool while I caffeinated. We did Hershey Park today and came home."
"You guys are livin' the life," he lamented. "Gotta say, I'm a little jealous. Did she have fun?"
"Loved it," Lorelai smiled. "You should've seen her face on the rollercoasters - pure joy. I'll probably try and take her and Julia out to Coney Island this summer. I can already see the pout on Julia's face when she hears where we went without her."
"She's eight, you said?"
"Mmhmm," Lorelai hummed. "Going on eighteen."
"I know the type," Dean replied, his low chuckle bringing a smile to Lorelai's face.
"Sam used to give you a lot of trouble?"
"Like you wouldn't fucking believe," he laughed. "The joys of being the older sibling."
"I can't complain too much. I get reminded regularly that I was the pain-in-the-ass little sister before Katie, and that a lot of the time I still am."
"Yeah, that tracks. You don't strike me as the, uh, go-with-the-flow, take-directions-well type."
"Not in the slightest," Lorelai snorted, and Dean laughed. "So what's for dinner?"
"Uhhh, it's looking like fast food, fast food, or more fast food. I'll probably grab us a couple of burgers and see if we can find anywhere decent for breakfast in the morning."
"Nice." Half a beat later, Lorelai heard the gears shifting again, some of the background noise fading away, and she tried not to feel disappointed.
"Yeah. Hey Lor, I hate to have to do this but I gotta -"
"It's alright," she cut in. "Go get your food."
There was another beat between them, the weight of the distance between them suddenly weighing on her heavier than it had been before.
"Talk soon?" he asked. The voice in her head said no, but her heart flew to her mouth faster.
"Yeah. Talk soon." She could hear his smile thousands of miles away.
"Awesome. Have a good night, sweetheart."
He didn't wait for a reply, the line clicking dead a moment later. Lorelai snapped her own phone shut, her hand falling into her lap as she deflated and tipped her beer back again. The voice that had said no nagged at her, reminding her how foolish she was being. In that moment, however, she couldn't argue with the warm feeling in her chest, or the wave of calm that washed over her, and she didn't really want to try.