#they get breakfast at about 10a and she also comes and lets me know when it’s time to stop meetings and feed them lol

[waterbearwasteland]

My cat is so good at telling time and it drives me insane. I used to get up at 7:15 and take like 5 minutes to lay in bed and cuddle her because every time it’d go off she’d come running in for her designated baby time before I’d get ready to leave. Now my alarms are set for 7:45 bc I work from home but every morning she comes in at 7:10, cries a little and paws at my face until I wake up enough to roll over and let her lay across my chest so she can be held until 7:45

[jackiebuckley]

I kind of posted the prologue to my fic and posted it 🥺🥺 so if you wanted to check this out. I'll be posting it below with the info. Maybe comment for future tags or whatever 💅🏻💅🏻.

In case you wanted to leave comments and what not THIS is also up on here. ×××

Title: if it Stings. Let it burn

Word count: 2,552

Rating: teen and up (nothing yet)

Pairings: aaron hotchner/lorelai gilmore. More to come :)

What identifies a home. Is it a group of buildings that blend together with browns and reds on concrete walls? Is it blues of skies and greens of grasses in parks? What about the people? Passing by you in hurries as they find themselves needing to move to work or elsewhere. They hurry along not wanting to disrupt the pattern that everyone so gently crafted. 

And with and things what happens when your home is reached. When something happens to push everything to the side. What happens when your safety net, the thing that you most rely on catching you — snaps. Do you hold on, dangling with what could verses couldn't happen? Do you push your hope to the back of your mind, hopeful it's just one mistake? One simple thing falling short of something wonderful, beautiful. Or do you fight back, letting your chains become loose, and watching as you learn to gain your wings? Finally free to be who you wanted to be. These things aren't as likely without a reason. Something that makes you want to jump.

November 19th

The road back from Stars Hollow wasn’t too bad. It was a pretty straight and narrow line for the most part. But as for any road, it wasn’t safe when it came to the incoming cold.

“I should probably head home before the first snow comes in. you know how the roads get.” the voice of a boy in his late teens spoke, his car was warming up on the side waiting for him to climb in and go on the road. 

“Yeah, I’ll see you. Stay safe.” the voice of a girl no older than 17 spoke as she waved him off. They had talked whenever the other came into town. In this case, what the girl didn't know was that this would be for all she knew, the last time she would see him. 

Music played from the stereo as he changed the radio, again and again. God, it seemed all these stations only played the same nine or ten songs. Especially in a small town like this, it was all they could hear when moving around the different areas. Yet all of it from top to bottom made it so he never wanted to leave. Some remixed version of Amazing Grace could be heard. Fixing his eyes back to the road. As he stopped at the stop sign in front of the road he looked before driving more down the road. 

“Stop the car.” a voice popped in from the back seat. Fight or flight mode turned on and he realized that he would do anything at this moment to 

“What?!” panic rose in his voice. 

“STOP THE CAR.” he slammed on the break. That was the moment that everything went dark.

November 21st

"Living in a small town, I knew everybody and everybody knew me."

-- Anna Nicole Smith

 “Chip Macenstoch, 18. He was last seen leaving back home. They found his car with the keys still in the ignition but no sign of Chip seen.” Penelope's voice carried as she clicked through the slideshow she had on the screen. “Matt Schoenfeld, found with his window wide open, his bed was empty. There were no signs of struggle.” she clicked through the slideshow again. “The only connection between the two is a last reported conversation, and the area they come from.” she clicked off the slideshow. 

“Stars Hollow according to tourist websites, it has a population of less than one-thousand.” JJ offered as she looked through the file sitting in front of her. 

“And we need to be there before anything happens to turn that town’s population any less…” Hotch sighed as he made his way to standing up.”wheels up in thirty.” he offered, and the room dispersed. 

Not much happened here, not much has happened in the last seventeen years she had lived here with Rory. there had been some slight scandal involving the town priest. But nothing huge here or there. This though was a shock. 

The cold of the November wind lasted an ongoing chill to the brunette at the desk as she communicated with a woman on the phone. “It's a week before Thanksgiving it might be a little rough in order to get enough rooms.” the brunette behind the desk offered. “Yes, we do offer breakfast. Yes there's double bed rooms.” she offered. “three rooms for today? Will do. Thank you." She sighed as she moved from the desk to the small entrance to the inn. She ran a hand through her hair. So much had happened to their small town within the past few days. Two teens vanished without a trace. Both teens, very safe, smart boys. She looked out the window. 

"They canceled school for the rest of the week. Which, while I should be relieved.  They said they were canceling due to the vanishes in Stars Hollow. Which is weird." Rory spoke appearing from next to her.

"Woah Woah Woah — slow down speedy," Lorelai responded in return to her daughter's tangent.  The cases of the missing boys had made news in all the towns nearby, her parents swore they wanted Lorelai and Rory. to come to stay with them until it all blew over. It didn't seem like a good idea though. With a week till Thanksgiving they could use as much help in the Independence inn as possible. Plus — it was home to them. Even if their home seemed to be a little crooked. "Go get something from Sookie to eat to work at the tables.  Okay?" She offered. Seeing her daughter nod before walking off. 

It took some time, but as Lorelai was writing down some notes she saw from the corner of her eye two cars, she knew from the looks of the black sleek vehicles, that these were the guests they were waiting for. “It’s go time Gilmore,” she stated to herself, waiting for what was to happen next. 

What was there to expect from a small town that didn't even show up on a map? Was there something to expect from a place where some who exited called the "friendliest town on earth?" From the bright-eyed townsfolk who walked around looking like they belonged in a Disney film to the distinct smell of farm life and coffee beans that drifted throughout the entire place. Was there more than the sidewalks that cracked and crinkled yet how this place seemed to call the names of those around them. 

This place looked as if it hadn’t experienced constant shock and trauma. As if it was the perfect Disney town where birds braided hair and good peeked at every corner. As if truly things were perfect. The biggest shock factor had been when they found out the Organic Milk wasn't truly organic. So this really was the worst possible thing to happen. Emily commented that it looked straight out of a Hallmark film. And the little inn they were staying in, definitely brought more of that message forward. The agents walked out of their cars, into the small lobby area. Immediately seeing how it was decorated. They wouldn't be spending too much time here, but it did have a nice way of being subtly decorated for the holidays. “I’ll go grab our bags.” Derek offered as Reid mumbled a fun fact in the direction of Emily. 

“Welcome to the Independence Inn. I’m Lorelai.” a bubbly brunette offered and JJ stepped in. 

“Pleasure to meet you Lorelai. We should have three rooms under Garcia?” she offered, knowing Penelope had set them the reservation. 

“Oh yes yes!” she nodded as they stood in the center of the room. “4, 7 and 10A are all open and ready for you.” she smiled and Hotch wondered how this woman was so bubbly and full of energy. He would have mentioned it but Emily did with a comment of 

“Someone clearly had their coffee.” she commented, getting a roll of the eyes and a comment of “be nice.” from JJ. 

There was something about the way that the place had a small humming of home to it. It was a shame they wouldn't get to experience the town. Sure they were probably going to be in town for Thanksgiving, but that wasn't a reason to celebrate. There was a lot of wonder in the town. From the little Cafes and Diners they saw as they entered into the area. They had a place called Luke’s recommended to them a good nine times. He knew they would most likely eat there at some point for their trip. They just needed to get something established for the case first, figure something out. There also seemed to be a lot of mystery, from the woods that surrounded where they were. He had a lot of questions. From what other things lay unstirred behind these walls. 

And what about the bubbly brunette who walked around. Bright eyed as she talked to all the members of the team , asking them different statements as JJ happily conversed. To Reid, looking like he was absolutely shocked that someone could talk as fast as he could. Maybe there was something about her young daughter. Well not super young. Probably late teens. The way her eyes flickered around whenever someone would ask her something. How when Derek and he had pulled her for questioning she asked a few times if this would be on any kind of record for her

 “Do you have anyone we can talk to for an alibi?" Derek asked from beside him. And Hotch could tell right away. There was no way in hell this girl had anything to do with this. From the way her doe eyes shined, curiosity to the brim of them. To the way the books in her arms sat perfectly. She was grace, and he could tell that she was the woman in the lobby's daughter. 

“My mom and I have a movie night every Tuesday Night. My boyfriend came to watch with us. You can ask him, or my mom, I was home.” she commented and a mental note was made to ask. After Hotch included his own question. Wanting to get more of an idea for what was happening.

“Is there anyone with foul wishes or harmful intent for him?” he added in his own question. 

"Everyone loved him, he would come to town meetings and see if anyone needed anything. He came to a town meeting the night of his disappearance. Next thing we knew the newspaper came in with news that he was gone." She explained. She explained Chip and his role in the town. He was a local farmer's son. He would come into town every week to get supply and then he would come back home. "Is he okay?" They had found his truck on the side of the road. But they didn't have the heart to tell her that there wasn't much hope of where he was. 

 They sighed. Looking at one another "we'll keep you updated — okay kid?" Morgan stated before Rory as they learned her name was walked off. Running over to where her mother was waiting. As they prepared to go back for some of them to the scene of the crime. And others to remain questioning. Hotch ran a hand through his hair. There was something about these small towns that hit harder than anything else. from the way they came together, which meant it would hit harder knowing there was someone among one of them causing harm. 

What they had learned about Rory Gilmore. Real name Lorelai.  Bright eyed girl, smart, charming. Going to attend an ivy league within a year. She had a knack for reading lately getting into classics. "In Cold Blood" had been one of her favorites lately

He found that as being ironic. But not a funny irony. More of a cold irony. 

They had to be cautious with their next moves. 

 "Miss —." Morgan paused looking for a name.

"Lorelai. Lorelai Gilmore." She offered and her voice was rushed but still had music to it. 

"Do you mind if we question you?" He asked and Hotch watched as Rossi and Morgan took the brunette to the dining room. He watched as they walked away, she had some kind of wonder the way she did things.  

JJ approached him, "sir we should probably head back out. See if there is anything we missed." What was there to miss? This looked a lot like the rest of the things they had seen. He hated cases where the  best thing was to wait for whatever came next. Spend a day or two and see what pops up. Immediately as he stepped into the cold, feeling of air hitting his face he climbed his way into the car. Allowing Emily to take the wheel as they went to what was next. 

It wasn't that he didn't trust his team. He trusted them more than anything else. This case just had so little to go by at this moment. He didn't want things to crash and burn before they even started. They go back to the scene of the first abduction and immediately they’re back to not noticing anything new. What they did notice was their victim’s parents were standing off to the side, their arms wrapped around each other. Hotch had seen this look plenty of times before. Had seen the way their entire bodies would collapse, it was as if all they had known was crumbling. He tried his best not to get involved in the cases, he knew it wasn't the best thing to do. So he continued to push it aside. 

 “Please tell me you found my son.” someone would ask, at first when he started in the field he didn't know what to tell them. How did you break someone’s heart? Take away the hope they have kicking in their soul. He was called cold, broken. So that is what he allowed himself to become. He hardened his shell and bounced back stronger than anything else. 

His voice finally beckoned out of him as he looked at the family. “He's gone… they found his body in the creek.” he looked at them, his eyes not leaving the couple. He hated this type of news. 

“What do you mean he’s gone?” the response would come and then they would see the body pass on the stretcher. Tears would fill the eyes and he wished that all of this didn't happen. Yet it was. Bad people filled the earth. 

“No, no no, that can't be him. It can’t be my baby boy.”

He didn't know what stirred him out of all of this, but when he noticed Emily and Reid “we asked around and according to people nearby the last seen person near both of them has been identified.” 

“name?” Hotch offered. Hopefully, this person would have some kind of connection that could truly get them closer to where they needed to be. Even if they only had only been here for less than a day. 

“...Rory Gilmore,” Reid stated, he noticed the connection between the name and the situation.

The daughter of the woman back at the inn. This case just got a lot more intense.

@willlemonheadsupremacy

[jackwatchessu]

S01E04 Together Breakfast

I have so many questions!!!

What started out as a lighthearted episode featuring less than stellar culinary choices, a wholesome quest for a family meal and a playful romp through the temple also featured a demonic possessed painting and the family breakfast getting possessed before attempting to murder everyone (plus looking like it might have succeeded for a moment there). 

Pearl has all the swords! I mean- I know there was a meme about Pearl having all the swords but hearing it once upon a time as a joke and seeing her with all the swords are two very different things! Marry me Pearl! I have a lot of questions about Pearl’s room, mostly along the lines of “Why?” and “How?”, along with even more about how she and the others get around the inner Temple in a timely manner. 

I do think Pearl might need to at least try and respect Amethyst’s boundaries a little more, whether or not she was free to go into Amethyst’s room to clean and hunt for missing swords in the past is a moot point if Amethyst wants privacy for herself now. I can’t be the only one who thinks Pearl probably had some kind of hand in raising Amethyst in the distant past can I? 

Amethyst has made the shift from Steven Mum to Older Sister who must occasionally fill a parental role. She’s slowly looking more and more like the former baby of the bunch, both in her relationship with Steven and attitude towards Pearl. She’s definitely the most playful of the Crystal Gems and looks like she’ll probably the one that Steven will relate best to in later seasons if their relationship continues to develop along similar lines.  

Also, Amethyst, please let Pearl clean your room. I know you said you had a system but what you have honestly isn’t. I have a system, you have a disaster area. 

Garnet. Where do I even begin... First she comes home with an evil possessed painting (which was honestly awesome) and then she opens her own magic door with not one but two gems. I mean, I knew she had two almost from the get go thanks to Gem Glow’s weapon training sequence but it just didn’t quite click in my brain until this episode that Garnet has two gems. One of them isn’t even her colour! Then there’s all of those bubbles in her room... Why are they all there Garnet? Why are you and the others keeping them there?

Steven, my poor hopeless son, didn’t really exhibit much in the way of situational awareness this episode. I know he was excited about eating with his family but it could have gotten him killed several times over this episode. It almost did get him killed when he distracted Garnet a the wrong moment and is definitely something he will need to develop going forward if he wants to keep going on adventures with the Gems. That said it is very clear that he loves his family with all his heart and that they love him the same way.

My questions that the show answered this episode (1) What the hell was up with the teleporting bubble in Gem Glow?      - We didn’t really find out much more than the location of the bubbles but that’s still more than we knew previously.

My current top ten current questions for the show to answer  (1)   Did Pearl help raise Amethyst / teach her to summon her weapon?  (2)   What the hell is up with the bubbles in Garnet’s Room? We now know where the teleporting bubbles went as of S01E04, but why do the Gem's keep them there? Why do the monsters seem to have gems of their own in the first place? Do they come from the same planet?  (3)   Why was Rose the only one to show up to Greg’s concert?  (4)   Why does Garnet have two gems? Why is one of them blue?  (5)   What was the Calm Pink Room that we glimpsed in Together Breakfast? Was it Rose's room?  (6)   Was the Sea Spire a test of some kind? What were they testing and why?  (7)   Do Gems need to breathe?  (8)   How did the Gems meet?  (9)   What happened to the Gem civilisation? Where did they go?  (9a) Why didn’t Pearl go with the other gems when they left earth (presuming they’re not all dead)? She clearly misses them so why did she stay behind?  (10)  What on earth was inside the possessed scroll from Together Breakfast?           (10a) How did it get in there? 

The questions above are what I’m waiting for the show to tell me about, I don’t want anyone to try answering them for me

Asks are open if anyone wants to drop me a line because I love hearing from you all but no spoilers please!

My housemate will be screening my Asks so if I don’t put up a reply they’ve probably deemed the Ask spoilerful and will give it to me to answer after the spoiler danger has passed.

————————

Episode 5 Frybo will start in about 30 minutes. If anyone wants to join the Discord Server one of my uni mates set up and scream at everything I post as a group the invite link is https://discord.gg/2UWWw5B.

A link to the liveblog for Episode 5 has been set up and is located here but at time of writing has no actual content

[deans-fire-dragon]

What Comes After, SPN Fanfic, Gen, Chapter 10A

                                            banner by jessicarae24

Title: What Comes After Author: November'sGuest Character's: Sam and Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore, Sam's Stanford friends (most OCs), and a brief appearance by Missouri Mosley. Category: Hurt/Comfort, Horror, Angst, and AU Rating: T (PG-13) Spoilers: None beyond second season if any…it's pretty much AU. Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters are the property of Eric Kripke and the CW. This is solely written for fun…obviously no profit made. Summary: Sam and Dean travel to Stanford to investigate recent deaths of college students after receiving a call from Rebecca Warren. Meanwhile, as Dean recovers from his injuries, his new and bizarre visions of Jessica continue to haunt him and Sam. Sequel to "The Wake-Up Call."

                                         Back to MASTERPOST

A/N: I’m so sorry guys, but I’m realizing that maybe the fact I’m taking so long to get this posted has caused some continuity errors. I haven’t been re-reading everything prior to the current chapter to make sure it all stays cohesive which is really bothering me. The problem is, when I try to go back and re-read the whole thing, I feel like my earlier writing has so many flaws that I need to stop and re-do all of it (which would seriously be a bad idea if I ever want to finish this). However, I did try to hit the highlights before posting this one and I’m hoping the errors aren’t so bad as to ruin the story for you.  Also, fair warning: this chapter is completely unbetaed. It’s 100% me—mistakes, warts and all. I’ve read it enough that my poor brain just registers static at this point, so apologies in advance for poor writing, negligence and any weirdness that may crop up. Hopefully, nothing is too distracting or problematic for your enjoyment. Given the cold response at FF.net, I'm kinda worried here. As always, thank you so much for reading and I look forward to reading your thoughts. *hugs*

                                     Chapter 10:  Warning Sign                              “I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in                               I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones                            That I started looking for a warning sign…”                                                                  ~Coldplay

Pancakes bubbled in the hot skillet as Lori and Chris debated blueberries versus chocolate chips—of which, they had neither, but that didn’t seem to matter much to the discussion. “Chocolate makes everything better.” “No, you’re thinking of bacon. Bacon makes everything better.” “What happened to team blueberry?” Lori snickered and gave Chris a playful shove. “Well, you see, blueberries are the bacon of the pastry world.” A knock on the door stopped Lori mid-laugh and they exchanged looks. Handing her spatula to Chris, she walked to the door and peeked outside. There stood Sam, head hanging, floppy hair hiding his face. Hands shoved deep in his pockets completed the look of a naughty child come to apologize. As soon as the door opened, his head came up and his cheeks colored. “Would it help if I said I’m sorry,” he began, “and I don’t know what came over me?” Lori crossed her arms. “Really!” he rushed.  I am sorry. My behavior—what I said—was totally uncalled for.” Her arms fell loosely by her sides. “Yeah, it was—” “I…I don’t—” he interrupted “—I mean, I’m pissed at Dean, I am. But I totally crossed the line. I’m not sure why I was so angry.” Sam shook his head helplessly and looked at her with wide hazel eyes. A basset hound had nothing on this kid. She smiled and stood aside. “Come on, this may be your only chance to see Chris cooking.” Sam ducked his head and crossed the threshold. He stopped short when he caught sight of Dean asleep on the couch immediately to his right. Concern pulled his brows in, made him frown. “Is he okay? I-I didn’t even ask earlier.” “I think so—relatively speaking.” Sam frowned, but he didn’t look particularly surprised. “What do you mean?” She sighed, wondering how much information she should give Sam—what Dean would be okay with him knowing and what he needed to know. “After you left, he had a bad breathing attack. Turned blue and scared us to death.” She shrugged. “But we gave him his inhaler and that seemed to take care of it. He’ll be worn out the rest of the day, though. Attacks that severe really sap the body’s energy levels.” She watched Dean for a second and, seeing no signs of distress, turned toward the kitchen. “Go ahead and help yourself to some coffee. Breakfast will be ready in a minute.” She exchanged glances with Chris when he handed the spatula back to her. Removing the pancakes from griddle to platter, she covertly watched the brothers. Sam stood next to the couch, gaze fixed on Dean for a long moment. A range of emotions played across his face and he couldn’t seem to settle on any one thing. He grabbed the afghan from the back of the couch and spread it over his sleeping brother. The care he took pulling and smoothing it over Dean’s shoulders tugged her heart into a swell of emotion. Face crinkled in concern, he joined them in the kitchen. Chris offered Sam a piece of blackened bacon. “Olive branch?” Sam smiled and took the greasy offering, stuffing the entire slice in his mouth. He spoke around the wad of meat. “Bacon brings people together.” The two men grinned at each other—at the old joke they shared. “I’m really sorry about earlier,” Sam apologized. “All this must be getting to me more than I thought.” “Totally understand—but I’m not sure I’m the one you owe an apology.” Chris’s eyebrows rose meaningfully as he bumped Sam’s shoulder to soften his words. Sam looked toward the couch, his face twisted between exasperated and troubled. “He makes me so mad sometimes—stupid overprotective crap. He’s always been this way, always reckless when it comes to himself.” Chris nodded in understanding, but said, “He’s not completely wrong, though. Anyone can see you need closure—and someone has to stop this thing.” Sam met Chris’s gaze. “Yeah, but does it have to be Dean? I get why he does it, but does he ever stop to think how I’ll feel if something happens to him? You know, it’s not fair. I’d do anything for him, including keeping him safe.” Staring at his feet, Sam sniffed. “I don’t wanna lose him.” Lori quietly set the table, not wanting to interrupt. Sam’s anguish hung heavily around them, though, and she couldn’t help staring toward the couch. Her heart ached for Sam. For both brothers. It seemed tragic that their love for each other had put them at cross-purposes. She couldn’t imagine doing what they did—such a dangerous job and each one so scared for the other. Chris squeezed Sam’s neck. “Look, man, I don’t pretend to know your relationship with your brother. I mean, I get there’s baggage—that much is obvious—but what’s between you and your brother is…it’s not something I expected. It’s hard to reconcile the way you guys are together with how you never spoke about him the whole time I’ve known you.” Chris sighed. “I thought I had you guys—him—dialed in, but now I…I don’t know. But I’m certain he’s not purposely trying to hurt you.” “I know that. That’s the problem. He’s always tried to protect me from everything. And, you know, I’m not a kid anymore. He doesn’t have to shoulder everything. I want him to lean on me like I’ve always leaned on him.” “Yeah, well, easier said than done. Little brothers will always be little brothers, Sam.” Sam looked at Chris, sympathy easing the tension between his brows. “Yeah, I know. Chris, you gotta know you weren’t—” “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Chris turned away to finish piling bacon on a plate. Sam watched him for a while then nodded. “Okay.” “You gonna move outta the way or stand there like a moose in the road?” Chris smirked. Stepping around Sam, he took the plate of bacon and set it in the middle of the table. Lori turned the conversation to less charged topics. “If you guys grab the juice and milk from the refrigerator, we can eat. Oh, and grab those glasses sitting by the sink. I’ll get Dean.” Sitting on the coffee table, she shook Dean’s shoulder. “Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey.” When Dean didn’t rouse, she jostled him a little more. “Dean, time to wake up. Hey, some of us are hungry.” This elicited a grimace and a groan of displeasure as he shifted fully onto his back. “Mmm—time’s it?” he grumbled. His eyelids fluttered, but stay closed. “Time to wake up and eat. Let’s go already!” She smiled at the creases carved into the side of his face and the hair sticking up along the side of his head. Her fingers itched to smooth the wayward strands down. Instead, she removed the blanket Sam had so carefully placed over him and quickly folded it back over the couch. He blinked his blood-shot eyes open, then slammed them closed with a grunt. Cautiously, he peered out slits of green and slowly levered himself up on an elbow. Lips thinning, Dean pressed fingers to his forehead, brows pulling together. “Headache?” she asked. “Yeah.” “I’ll bet it’s a doozy, too. Let me help you sit up and I’ll go get something for it, okay? C’mon, old man, easy does it,” she teased, bracing his shoulders. She knew his back had to be throbbing, so she tried to take as much of his weight as she could and secretly planned on giving him something more than over the counter meds. With her help, he pushed fully upright—his logger boots clunking to the ground as he leaned into the couch, resting his head against the back. “No one should feel this bad if liquor’s not involved,” he grumbled. She frowned. “No, they really shouldn’t.” Darting a glance at Sam, she leaned in and whispered, “You need to let someone check you over—someone besides me.” “I told you, I’m fine.” Dean stared down his nose, not daring to lift his head. “Nothing that won’t heal. Why are we whispering?” Poised to whisper back, she switched to an easy smile when she noticed Sam coming their way. “Hey, Sam, look who decided to join us?” Dean’s head twisted so he could see, but Sam was already coming around the couch and into view. Right before her eyes, Dean camouflaged everything but the tension in his shoulders. Shaking her head at him, she stood and said, “I’ll get you something for your headache.”

                                       Sam ran a hand over his mouth nervously. “Hey, ready to eat? We’ve got pancakes, bacon—and coffee, a big pot of it.” Dean studied him carefully, his expression impassive and guarded. It hurt to have his brother look at him like that, but given what had happened earlier, Sam guessed he had it coming. Raking his eyes over Dean, he checked for signs of injury. Other than being white-washed pale with deepening smudges under his eyes, he seemed relatively intact. But he knew the blood had come from somewhere and the tightness around his brother’s eyes indicated his pain level was pretty high. “You okay?” Dean asked huskily. And wasn’t that just like Dean? “I think I should be asking you that. Are you?” At Dean’s raised brows, he clarified, “Okay, I mean?” “Yeah, I’m good.” Sam could see the lie as plain as the freckles on his brother’s face. Sam huffed disbelief and drew his bottom lip in, deciding not to call him on it. Like a lightning bolt, it hit Sam that he had no idea whatsoever how Dean felt and hadn’t had in over twenty-four hours. Yes, they’d worked on making sure Dean’s thing was under lid as much as possible, but there wasn’t a hint of anything—nothing but the normal connection born of blood and long hours spent together. He wanted to ask Dean about it, but Lori came breezing back in with an oblong, white pill and a half glass of water. Sam recognized it as an acetaminophen based narcotic—definitely overkill for a simple headache. “Here we go,” she said. Dean scowled at the pill. “Don’t you have Tylenol?” When Lori directed a sour look at him, Dean popped the pill in his mouth without another word. Sam felt his eyebrows rise, not used to seeing his brother so easily bullied into things unless it was Dad doing the bullying. When he was done, she took the glass from him, saying, “You guys go ahead, I’ll be there in a sec.” Chris had taken a seat, digging in already. He looked up and mumbled around a mouthful, “What? I’m hungry and you’re taking too long.” Sam smiled in amusement and stretched his arm out to Dean. “C’mon, I’ll give you a hand.” Dean stared at the hand. His eyes flicked up to Sam’s and he said, “Um, I can’t-I don’t—my chest’s a little sore…” he trailed off. “What happened to your chest?” “Dude saved my life, that’s what happened to his chest,” Chris provided helpfully. Sam turned back to his brother, his eyebrows crawling off his face. Dean grimaced. “It’s not a big deal… Stop it, Sam—dude, your face is gonna freeze like that.” Frustration churned inside him, but he let the emotions leak away on a long, measured exhale—he didn’t want to fight. He could see his brother was a mess and that was enough. Besides, the more he showed anger, the more Dean would shut down and that wouldn’t help anybody. “All right, but we’re talking about this later.” Sam ignored Dean’s eye roll as he bent to grab his brother’s elbow. The effort it took to get him up rattled Sam—he had to take almost all of Dean’s weight to get him on his feet. Tremors shook through Dean and he swayed. Sam tightened his hold and hung on, fingers curled into his brother’s flesh, bruising. Bright fear shivered through him. “Y’alright?” Dean nodded, but he didn’t pull away like Sam expected. Instead, he allowed Sam to keep a steadying hand at his elbow all the way to the table. Did he even realize Sam was hovering? Uneasiness zipped along Sam’s spine and his stomach churned in worried swoops. The worst part? He couldn’t say a word—not here, not in front of everyone. One more thing he’d have to shelve for later. Getting through this meal was going to be torture. Lori and Chris peppered casual breakfast conversation with surreptitious glances at them. Awkward didn’t begin to cover how Sam felt being so closely observed. And if he felt awkward, Sam was downright sorry for his brother. Scrutiny gravitated Dean’s way more and more as the meal continued, zeroing in on his mostly untouched plate. Dean, for the most part, kept his eyes down, focused on poking holes into his pancakes with his fork. Now and then, he’d pick up a piece of bacon and take a bite. His silence, though, shouted louder than if he’d participated in the conversation happening around him. “Dean, you need to eat,” Lori pointed out when everyone else was nearly done. “That pain pill will sit better on your stomach if it’s not empty.” “Sorry,” he glanced up, “not very hungry.” Sam eyed the shake of his brother’s hand as he reached for his coffee. Halfway to his mouth, Dean lost his grip, spilling hot liquid over the front of him and sending the mug crashing to pieces across the floor. “Dammit,” Dean hissed, jumping back from the table, hastily brushing at his clothes. Lori shot up from her chair to grab some paper towels while Chris stared at all of them with cheeks puffed full of his last bite. Sam knelt and picked up the shards of broken stoneware, listening to Dean’s shaky apologies. “I’m sorry, it-it…it just slipped—dammit,” he said, bitter and contrite. “I’m so sorry—” “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not worried about the mug.” Lori handed Dean the paper towels. “I’m worried about you. Did it burn you anywhere?” “N-no, I’m …” he trailed off as he stared down at himself. “Are you sure?” She reached for Dean’s shirt, but he caught her wrist and stopped her. “I’m fine.” “I’m fine,” he repeated a few seconds later, after she’d already knelt to the floor next to Sam. Sam looked up, concerned by the weird tone. “Dean?” His breath was stolen by the chill that freeze-dried his heart. Dean stood rigid, hands clenched at his sides, paper toweling crumpled in one shaking fist. His pupils were blown wide-open—stricken vulnerability naked on his face. Sam didn’t think the others noticed—Lori still sopping up coffee and Chris wrestling with the trashcan’s stubborn lid. Sam squashed the urge to grab his brother and hide him away before they could. “Dean?” Sam stood, hands clutching dripping paper and broken mug, brown coffee polka-dotting his boots. His brother’s eyes anchored to his, a desperate mooring in a vast, vicious stormy ocean. Sam’s heart thud-fluttered, the beat picking up and bumping hard against his chest. He fervently wished for the connection between them—he needed to know what made Dean look like that. “What? What is it?” His words seemed to break the spell. Dean half shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and shuddering. “I’m okay,” he whispered. “You want me to pour you some more?” Lori’s voice intruded. Their heads turned in sync to watch her throw a mass of wadded paper into the trash bin Chris was holding. “No,” Dean slowly answered. “I’m good.” She rummaged through an open drawer before turning back to them with a tea towel. Rooted, his brother remained unmoving until Lori came over and began brushing off his chest and thighs. “I got it,” he said quietly, taking the towel from her. Confused by the weirdness permeating the air, Sam didn’t realize he was drawing attention himself until Chris jabbed him with an elbow. “You gonna just stand there dripping coffee all over your feet?” Chris eyed him with concern, but his voice was casual and teasing. Sam glanced down at the saturated napkins and shards cupped in his hands. “Um, right. Guess I should—” He raised a self-effacing eyebrow at Chris, shrugging, and threw the trash into the bin. He washed his hands and turned back, automatically finding his brother. Dean held his damp, stained shirt away from his skin, face screwed up in disgust. “I hate to eat and run, but, uh,” he cast a look at Sam, “I think we’re gonna head out. You ready?” Sam nodded, eager to get them out of there, and quickly cleared his dirty dishes from the table. “Yeah, um, thank you for breakfast. Been a while since we had homemade pancakes.” “Not a problem,” Lori said, taking dishes from Dean’s hands. Bewilderment passed over her face when Dean failed to acknowledge her presence, instead, robotically walking to the middle of the room as soon as his hands were empty. She bent close to Sam and whispered, “Let me send the extras home with you in case he changes his mind about eating.” “Yeah, alright.” Sam nodded. Appreciation for the concern she showed his brother skipped alongside the guilt from the less than kind things he’d thought—and said—about her. She stretched plastic wrap around the food and paper plate, handing it off to Sam. “Is he okay?” Dean’s soft voice drew their attention. “Um, I’m not sure…” Dean patted his pockets. “Uh…keys?” Since when does Dean misplace his car keys? Sam felt like he’d stepped into an alternate universe where nothing made sense. “They’re in the bedroom,” Chris called over his shoulder, shoving the trash can back into place. “Should be on the dresser.” Dean nodded, looking toward a room off to the side, his hands still patting at his pockets absently. “I’ll get them,” Lori said when he made no effort to move. Dean nodded again, still weirdly lost and vacant. It was so unlike his brother, Sam went to him and touched his arm, needing to ground himself in the contact. Dean flinched, but his expression cleared and he looked a little more present. Lori came back with his keys and amulet in her hand. And, wow, how had Sam missed that? Dean took both, but immediately handed the keys over. “That everything?” Sam asked. Dean glanced scornfully at the plate of food, but nodded as he drew his thumb along the side of his nose and moved slowly toward the door. He turned at the last minute to address the room. “Thanks. For everything. And I meant what I said,” he directed the last at Lori. “Yeah, I know. Please, take care of yourself. I’d like a chance to collect on that favor someday.” “I’ll do my best.” His smile would’ve been convincing if it had come anywhere near his eyes. Maybe if the corners hadn’t been lopsided with uncertainty and the depths of his eyes melancholy. Sam tightened his grip around the car keys and watched his brother shiver as he headed out the door. Turning to his friend settled once again at the kitchen table, he asked, “Chris, you need a ride?” “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m gonna finish this.” He lifted his coffee cup. “Lori can give me a ride.” “Yeah, don’t worry about him. We’re gonna head over to the hospital in a little bit. Sam,” Lori called as he moved to follow out the door, “make sure he rests.” Sam shifted onto his heels, considering. He shook his head ruefully. “I get the feeling I’ve missed something big—but I also get the feeling I should thank you both for looking after my stubborn brother.” Pointing at Chris, Sam continued, “We’ll talk later.” Sam smiled at them both, pulling the door shut behind him. Part B continued here!