plurk meme { 2020 } christmas shenanigans

[iluvroadrunner6]

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[iluvroadrunner6]

may your days be merry and bright | derek & fi | 2,150

[littlebitscary]

“What’s wrong with you?”

Fiona startles as she looks up at her sister’s imposing figure. Leah squints down at her like Fiona is a puzzle she’s trying to decipher, and Fiona pulls the blanket she’s using as a wraparound tighter around her shoulders. The stupor she was in delays her answer, but hopefully not enough that Leah will become any more suspicious than she already is.

“Nothing,” Fiona shrugs. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Leah moves backs up to the doorway, reaching back to close the door and seal the soundproofing so the werewolves down the hall can’t listen in on the conversation. “You and your husband, delight that he is, are usually grossly overly affectionate to the point where you make the most endeared of us nauseous. This year, you’re barely spending any time in the same room. What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t know that Derek’s behavior was such a barometer for my state of mind.” Fiona quips back, frustrated, knowing that Leah wouldn’t let her off so quickly.

“Fiona.”

Fiona sighs before running a hand through her hair. “It’s nothing. It’s been a long year.”

“How long?” Leah frowns as she tips her head to the side. “I know there was the incident with the berserkers not long ago. Were there complications?” Fiona remains silent at first, and Leah huffs. “You shouldn’t keep all this bottled up. Talk to me.”

Fiona sighs heavily before running a hand through her hair. “It was … bad, Lee. Like I don’t think he’s ever seen me hurt this bad before bad.”

“So his worry is overwhelming, and there’s no room for anything else?”

Fiona hesitates before shrugging. “Something like that. He’s been treating me like glass ever since. And when he’s not here to do that, he’s off busy with pack things, or what have you.” And never mind the fact that there’s still the secret, a heavy one that hangs between them like a lead weight that she can’t bring herself to say to anyone, not even her sister.

“Sounds like you’re going through a whole lot of effort to distract yourselves from each other.”

Fiona shrugs, not wanting to make too big a deal out of it. “It’s just a bump. We’ll be fine.” Or they won’t, and they’ll go their separate ways, and this brief little foray of marriage will be what it was, but she’s not going to articulate that to her sister. That would be a recipe for her husband not making it out of New York alive.

Somehow, Leah seems to read her mind even if she doesn’t say it. “Are you happy, Fi?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course, I am.” It feels like a lie, even if it isn’t. Because she is happy. Being with Derek is the happiest she’s ever been. She doesn’t want that to go away, even if, for the moment, it doesn’t feel like it used to. “He just … feels far away right now, and I don’t know how to pull him back.”

Leah nods slowly, considering. Then, she tips her head to the side. “Why don’t you head up to the cabin?”

Fiona squints back at her. “What?”

“Go to the cabin. Just the two of you.” Leah smiles like it’s the perfect plan, and Fiona is still doubting. “You’re here until the New Year’s party, right? So why don’t you spend some of the in-between away figuring yourselves out? Take a break.”

“Because we came out here to see you?” Fiona doesn’t know why her sister is shipping her off to a remote location to work on her marriage. “Don’t you want to see us?”

“Just think about it.” Leah squeezes her hand. “We won’t be disappointed if you guys decide to take a few days, as long as you’re back for the New Year’s party.”

Fiona nods because, thinking about it, she can do it. Before she can say anything else, someone knocks on the door, and Derek opens the door to poke in his head.

“I’m heading to bed.”

Fiona nods before getting up and shedding the blanket. “Hang on; I’ll go with you.” She hugs her sister good night and follows Derek back to their bedroom, waiting until the door’s closed behind them. “How’s Nik doing? Good.”

“Yeah. Nik’s good. He and Marissa seem to be happy.”

She nods quietly, going through the motions of getting ready for bed, before moving to the dresser to take out her earrings. “Leah mentioned that the family cabin is empty this year. She thought that we might like to go up for a little while we’re here.”

Derek’s eyes turn to meet hers in the mirror as he sits to take off his shoes. His brow furrows in confusion. “Don’t you want to see your family?”

“Yeah, but we’re going to be here all week.” She tries to say the words with more force than she believes, but there’s an uncertainty to it. She watches him through the mirror, trying to keep her focus on the thing she wants to persuade him to do, not the distance that stretches between them. “I thought it might be nice to take a break for a few days. We haven’t had a lot of time to ourselves lately.”

He looks over at her for a moment, and she wishes for a moment that she could read his mind. You would think that she would know him well enough by now, but he’s as impassive as a rock. After a silence that lasts far too long, he nods.

“Sure. Could be nice.”

“Good,” Fiona nods with a small smile. “I’ll talk to Leah to make the arrangements in the morning.”

She hopes that her sister is right at the end of the day, and this manages to fix things.

- - - - - -

At first, things up at the cabin are nice. Leah has it stocked with food before they get there and makes sure that they turned down everything and there’s plenty of firewood. The drive was quiet, uneventful, and nothing but highway, and the day after they settle in, they went for a nice hike in the woods. The problem, however, started on Day Three when it began to snow.

And kept snowing.

And kept snowing even more after that.

Fiona probably should have checked the weather to make sure they wouldn’t get snowed in at the cabin, but she’s been spoiled by the California weather over the last few years. This situation is her bad.

She finishes calling her sister when Derek comes back in from clearing the porch – again – and she offers him a sympathetic look. “How bad is it?”

“Well, it doesn’t look like there’s any sign of stopping.” He brushes the snow off his shoulders as he pulls out of his coat and boots, wanting to get away from the wet garments. “It might be a few days before we can dig our way out of here.”

Fiona shakes her head. “I should have checked the weather. I’m sorry.”

He shrugs. “It happens in the winter. Or at least that’s what they tell me.”

Fiona nods before glancing over her shoulder. “Well, we still have plenty of food in the fridge and enough firewood to stay warm if the heat gives out.” She can feel how it’s not quite keeping up, but if they can keep the fire going, that might help compensate.

Derek nods as well. “We’ll be fine. I’m going to clean up if you want to start dinner?”

Fiona smiles before heading back into the kitchen. “I’m on it.”

By the time the sun goes down, the snowflakes are glinting off the porchlight in the dark. They’ve migrated from the kitchen closer to the fireplace. As lovely as this little trip away from the world has been, there continues to be a distance between them. Fiona still doesn’t know where to start. But she seizes an opportunity when he gets up to add more wood to the fire.

When he returns to the couch, she inches closer to fit into his space as he settles. His eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn’t push her away. “You okay?”

“It’s cold, the heat isn’t keeping up, and you’re a literal space heater.” She looks up with a teasing glance. “You’re going to have to keep your human wife warm for a little while.”

He smiles, and it’s the first genuine smile she’s seen from him in a while. He drapes his arms around her, pulling her closer as she reaches for one of the blankets. “I think I can work with that.”

Fiona smiles as she settles against him, tucking into his side with a happy sigh. This moment feels almost close to normal. It feels nice, even better than the past two days have been. She fits against him in a way she hasn’t with anyone else, and she doesn’t want to lose this.

Even if she can’t shake the feeling that either way, somewhere along the way, she will.

There’s a long moment of silence as they cuddle like this, keeping each other warm before she tips her head up to look at him again. “Hey. Are we okay?”

Derek glances down at her, and she’s his brow furrow in confusion. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t we be?”

Fiona shrugs because she’s starting to wonder if this distance is all in her head. “You’re not the most emotive, sometimes. And things have been … different, since Phoenix.”

Derek’s face goes blank again, and he nods before shifting them so that they can look at each other more. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy about what happened in Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with you.”

“Maybe that unhappy is something we should talk about?” Fiona shifts so that she’s resting her chin on his chest. “Because lately, it feels like you’re far away, and I don’t want you to stay there. But I’m not sure how to fix it.”

One hand comes up to brush through her hair, and he shrugs. “I guess part of me knows it’s only a matter of time until you go out on the next job. So I’m worried, Fi. I’d be worried if I wasn’t. I’m sorry if I’ve been a little more in my head about it than usual.”

She nods slowly before inching up so that she’s eye level with him and leaning in to kiss him softly. “I’m not going anywhere,” she murmurs. “I’m right here.”

“I know.” He sighs, one hand sliding over her back. “I just don’t know if I’m ready for the day when you’re not.”

She nods slowly before brushing her thumb against his chin. “I haven’t been actively looking or anything, but I can not take a job for a while. At least not until things go back to normal.” She pauses. “Or unless your mom asks.”

“You’d do that? It’s still your job, Fi.”

“Yeah, I know.” She smiles softly. “But I care more about us. I can take some non-dangerous jobs for a while. More medicinal.” The smile then turns to a smirk. “Or my rich, trust fund husband can float a little more of the bills for a little while.

He laughs and nods. “I can make that work. As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

At that moment, the dam breaks as he surges up to kiss her. It feels full and warm, as she’s always known him to be, and she can’t help but melt into him as he pulls her closer. After that, nothing matters but them.

- - - - - -

As the sun comes up over the newly glistening snow, Fiona can’t help but squint at the unending whiteness outside their door. There’s nothing but snow, for as far as the eye can see – she can barely even make out their car. Sighing softly, she curls back into her husband again and closes her eyes, intending to not deal with that for as long as she can help it.

“How bad is it?” Derek mumbles.

“Not great,” Fiona sighs. “I can barely see the car.”

“How long do you think we’ll be stuck?”

Fiona shrugs. “We do have a shovel. But the roads will probably be pretty bad for at least a day or two.”

“Mmmm.” Derek nods dryly. “A day or two all to ourselves, with nowhere to go. Whatever will we do.”

Fiona laughs as she looks up at him. “I’ve got a few ideas, but they do require breakfast.” She pulls off him, wrapping the blanket around herself as she gathers the rest of her clothes. As she pulls her shirt over her head, Derek reaches forward and takes her arm before pulling her in for a warm kiss.

“I love you,” he says as their lips part, and she smiles in return.

“I love you, too.”

let nothing you dismay | sam & patience | 1,307

[wellread]

“Alright, everyone, gather round!”

Suzanne claps her hands together as she draws the attention of the rest of the group. Sam and Patience both turn towards the blond at the head of the crowd as she dispenses her instructions. They go through the same ritual every year as the Lockwoods prepare for the Founder’s Christmas Ball, but this is Suzanne’s first year taking on so much responsibility, and Patience can tell her friend is taking it seriously.

“We are looking for three trees,” Suzanne begins, glancing over each of them. “One, a fairly sizeable fir tree for the main entranceway, one smaller one for the guest residences, and the biggest one you can find for the town square. If you find one, call for myself or Lord Salvatore, and we will take it down. Please do be careful; some of the older trees have been creaking this year.” Suzanne clasps her hands together in front of her. “Any questions?”

The crowd is silent, and she nods with a wide smile.

“Then, good luck! And thank you for your help.”

With that, the crowd disperses into the snow. Patience reaches for her betrothed’s hand as they dredge through the freshly fallen snow, careful not to misstep into a drift that seems more substantial than it is. Sam takes her hand firmly, pausing every so often to help her over a log or other obstacle in their way.

“I can’t believe the whole town turns out for this,” Sam sighs as he looks over the people weaving their way through the trees. “I thought it would be mostly the founding families.”

“The Lockwoods are very generous. If you help in the process of finding the trees, Lord Salvatore will assist you in chopping down a tree for your own family, and the Lockwoods would cover the expenses.”

“That is generous,” Sam comments, before tipping his head to the side. “Though I did see a rather large fir in your aunt’s sitting room this morning. I assume that’s not why we’re here.”

Patience laughs, glancing up at the trees as they pass. “We are here because I’m helping Suzanne with everything for the ball because she is my friend. And Elena is a founding family member, so the Gilberts and all their descendants are expected to help.”

“But you’re not a Gilbert, are you?” Honoria Fell quips as she and her escort come up behind them. “So your intended is right, Lady Winchester. You really didn’t need to grace us with your presence.”

Patience presses her lips together in a thin smile as she pauses, letting Honoria move past her and Sam. “Lovely to see you too, Honoria.”

“A pleasure as always, Patience.” Honoria smiles as she clasps her hands in front of her. “I tried to reassure Suzanne that we had everything covered, but she insisted on having you tag along. Then again, I suppose it makes sense that you two of our friends. In some ways, you deserve each other.”

Patience’s grip on Sam’s hand tightens as she does her best to maintain her calm. “That is the mayor’s daughter of whom you speak. I would be careful about how you proceed.”

Honoria rolls her eyes, utterly unaware that Suzanne can hear her. Not that Suzanne didn’t already know, but it still hurts all the same. “Her father may be the mayor – that we know if, at least – but let’s not forget who her mother is. My mother says –”

“Your mother is a malicious gossip.”

“Careful how you speak of your betters, Lady Winchester.” Her escort interrupts, a man she doesn’t recognize who certainly knows her, and he turns his gaze to Sam. “You may be aiming to be a nobleman’s wife now, but his house is precarious, and you know it.”

This time, Sam’s fingers tighten around hers as he stares the other man down. Patience glances at Sam curiously before turning back to Honoria. “The Hale house is still a strong one, and while the people around me might question it, they have always seen me as one of their own. And as much as I would love to continue this absolutely sparkling conversation, we have a tree to find.”

With that, she pulls Sam away from the pair and heads deeper into the woods. Once she’s sure they’re out of earshot of the couple, she looks up at Sam, concerned. “Who was that?”

“Lord Arthur Ketch,” Sam sighs. “We met in London at University. An organization has ties back to my father’s family. We didn’t know, as our grandfather went missing when my father was still a child, but apparently, we’re legacies.”

Patience straightens, concerned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought they were admirable, these Men of Letters. I thought they were monitoring the supernatural, as it were. Research, learning. It turns out they also hunt. And they seem quite intent in exterminating as much of the supernatural as possible. I didn’t want them getting an eye on your family.”

“My family has been what they are and where they are for centuries, Sam. They likely already knew.”

“I know,” He sighs. “I also didn’t want to give them an excuse to use me as a mole.”

“I see,” she reaches over to rest a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. That you both found your family and lost it at the same time.”

Sam shrugs, squeezing his hand in hers. “It wasn’t meant to be. I would much rather have you than them any day.”

Patience smiles softly before pushing up on her toes to kiss him. “Good. I’m glad. Now, we have a tree to find. And I would much prefer we come out ahead of Honoria Fell.”

Sam laughs before nodding his agreement. “I think I know just the tree.”

- - - - - -

The fir stands tall and healthy over the rest of the village’s trees, with sturdy boughs and fresh needles. Sam’s head tips upwards as he studies it. “I had no idea this tree was even here.”

“It’s further out than people usually go for trees, so it’s allowed to grow, big and sturdy.” Patience smiles as she rests her hand against the bark. “I thought we’d give credit to the pastor’s daughter, April. They need the tree more than we do. Her father’s been quite ill this year, sadly.”

Sam nods with a small smile. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.” His arms wrap around her waist as he pulls her in closer, his tall form buffering her against the cold. She leans into his arms with a smile, resting her head against his chest.

“Do you want to know more about that side of your family, Sam?” She looks up at him curiously. She’s been turning the situation over in her head. There has to be a way to meet in the middle.

Sam shakes his head. “I’m not sure there is. I know what they stand for – how can I join and pretend I support that?” And still love you is the part that comes through silently.

“Large portions of my family are not human. But I am.” Patience takes a breath as she looks up at him. “We’ll figure it out when we return to London. Perhaps the Duchess has some insight she could provide.”

“Perhaps,” Sam nods slowly. “But for now, I wish to enjoy the holidays with your family and not think of it at all.” He leans in to kiss her softly before looking up at the tree again. “Which, preferably, we figure out what to do about this tree so that we can get out of the cold and somewhere much warmer.”

Patience laughs before nodding. “You fetch Suzanne; I’ll find April?”

Sam nods in agreement, pressing one last kiss to the top of her head. “Done.”

snow falling as the carolers sing | laura & parrish | 1,316

[hereditare]

In some ways, having a boyfriend who’s paid to watch your every move is great. You can spend almost all your time together as you go about your daily life and not have it be an inconvenience. When it becomes a challenge however, is present shopping.

It’s hard to buy him a gift if he’s there, watching what you do.

Still, Laura is nothing if not resourceful. She looks over the calendar when various members of her secret service detail are assigned to go off duty between when she returns to New York and when she leaves for Christmas in DC. Laura circles Parrish’s days off and compares them with her schedule to make sure one of those days can coincide for shopping adventures. And when the time comes and the day finally arrives, she’s slightly disappointed to find her boyfriend at the door, dressed in his work clothes and clearly on the job.

He seems to sense her disappointment and looks at her, confused. “What?”

“I thought you were off today,” she admits sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”

“Martinez needed half a day to do something with his kid. I said I would take it.” Parrish squints at her curiously, trying to make sense of her reaction. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Laura swallows hard before shaking her head. “Nope. Not a problem at all. Very happy to see you.”

Parrish nods slowly. “So. What’s on the agenda today?”

“Christmas shopping,” she says with a nod, holding up her phone. “Got a list and everything.”

Parrish nods, still suspicious. “Okay. I’ll check the cars and make sure they’re ready. Come down once you’re good to go.” And with that, he disappears out the door, closing the door behind him. She moves closer to the door, waiting until she hears the ding of the elevator doors before swearing.

“Damnit, Martinez. You had one job.”

Gia pokes her head around the corner and raises an eyebrow at her curiously. “What’s wrong with you?” The other secret service agent is one of the few who knows about Laura and Parrish’s arrangement, so Laura feels a little safer admitting the real reason for her discomfort.

“I’m supposed to be shopping for him today.”

“Oh.” Gia drags the word out a little longer than she needs to before nodding her agreement. “Yeah, that’s a problem.”

“I waited for his day off for this exact reason, and now I don’t know when another slot of Parrish free time is going to line up.”

Gia nods slowly before tipping her head to the side. “Well, you have two options.”

“I assume one of them is reasonable, and one of them is ridiculous?”

Gia taps her finger to her nose before she continues. “Do you know what you want to get him?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. So we could do the reasonable thing, tell Parrish that you’re shopping for his gift and send him to get coffee while I go with you to get the gift.”

Laura makes a face. Not that it’s unreasonable to get your boyfriend something for Christmas – some might even say expected – but she and Parrish haven’t discussed gifts in terms of their relationship, and she doesn’t want him to feel pressured to do the same.

“What’s the ridiculous option?”

“We lie to him, say you need to go buy something uncomfortably feminine and still send him to get coffee.”

“So truth or elaborate ruse,” Laura nods slowly. “I think you know where this is going.”

Gia nods with a laugh before gesturing for Laura to go ahead of her. “Send up the signal, and I’ll know when you’re ready.”

Laura nods as she leads the way ahead of Gia. This plan is incredibly childish, and she knows it, but sometimes when a plan goes awry, you have to improvise.

- - - - - -

“So how much of this list of yours is left?”

Parrish already has two bags in each hand, brandishing gifts for the various members of her friends and family, and Gia has the other two, as Laura goes through her list on her phone. She and Gia agreed that saving him for last would be the best bet when he’s likely so exhausted by shopping and being her pack mule that he would very much willingly go for coffee and leave them to do what they need to do. Once Laura assesses that he is; indeed, the only one left, she glances over at the rapidly approaching food court.

“Just one more,” she says with a nod before pointing to Starbucks. “Why don’t you make a coffee run while Gia and I grab the last one?”

Parrish raises an eyebrow as he is not usually the agent sent to get coffee. Still, if it means he doesn’t have to walk around with the bags, he weighs his options. “Are you sure?”

“I mean, unless you would like to volley questions of what color would look best on my sister for the next twenty minutes, then, by all means, you and Gia could trade-off?”

Parrish looks hesitant, glancing between the two women and the coffee shop one last time before shaking his head. “Text me the order. I’ll meet you back here.”

“Thank you,” Laura smiles before taking Gia’s arm and leading her back into the crowded walkways of the pre-Christmas mall. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

Gia smirks before shaking her head. “I still think you could have just told him the truth.”

“Sometimes, you need to tell little white lies to keep things from getting awkward,” she nods before leading Gia into the nearest store that might have what she seeks.

- - - - - -

The last night she gets to see him is the morning of the twenty-third. He’s off for Christmas this year, so before she heads down to DC, she quietly slips her present into the inside front pocket of his jacket, hoping that it will stay hidden until she’s safely on the plane. It works so well that she doesn’t get a call about it until late Christmas morning, and she smiles when she sees his name on her caller ID.

“Merry Christmas,” she smiles as she answers the phone.

“You are very sneaky,” he comments in return, and she laughs.

“Well, I have to be with you being a nice guy and picking up other people’s shifts,” she shifts as she pushes away from Cora’s couch and makes her way out towards the backyard where she can have some privacy. “I almost thought that this was going to be a bust.”

“Well, I am very impressed. Both with your sneakiness and that you knew what to get me.”

The watch itself certainly wasn’t the fanciest thing in the store, but it was nice enough, and it suited him. After his last one got damaged while on shift with Laura, she figured it was the least she could do. “Do you like it?”

“I do. Thank you.”

“Good,” she nods. “I hope it wasn’t too much. I know we didn’t talk about gifts, but I wanted to get you something.”

“I appreciate it,” he sighs. “And I’m a little sad that you’re so far away now that I can’t thank you properly.”

She smiles softly. “Well, I will be back soon enough, and you can thank me in person.”

“Good. Because I may have gotten you a little something too, but I wasn’t sneaky enough to put it in your jacket when you weren’t looking.”

She laughs. “Well, clearly, you’ll have to up your game next time.”

“I guess I will.” A moment of silence falls between them before a beep goes off somewhere on the other end of the line. “That’s my Christmas breakfast. But I’ll see you soon?”

“You will,” she says with a nod. “Merry Christmas, Jordan.”

“Merry Christmas, Laura.”

i'll think of you wherever you go | ben & elena | 1,260

[braveandstupid]

“So. Any plans for Christmas?” Ben asks as he leans against the wall of the breakroom.

Elena has a sea of books spread out in front of her on her lunch break, looking for any precedent for the case she’s working. She’s only half in the conversation at this point, but she’s doing her best to try. They haven’t had a lot of time together lately, due to work.

“What about Christmas?”

“Any plans?” Ben repeats. “For Christmas.”

“Oh! I’m working.” She offers a small smile. “I took Thanksgiving, remember?”

“I do,” he nods. “That was a very lonely overnight shift when you and Poe both abandoned me.”

She flashes him a smile before shaking her head. “Well, I’ve got two twelve hours, one Christmas Even and one Christmas Day, so between that and Jeremy, I probably won’t have a lot of time.”

“No, that’s fine.” Ben nods. “If it weren’t right in the middle of the day, I’d say you and Jeremy could come out to my mom’s. I’m sure she’d love to have more for dinner.”

“I appreciate it. And trust me, I would love to see you on Christmas too, but you might have to settle for the day after.”

“I think I can do that,” he nods, glancing over his shoulder, before stepping over and leaning in to kiss her softly while no one was looking. “We’ll figure it out.”

“We will,” she smiles into the kiss before pulling away as the door opens. “I have to finish researching this. But I’ll see you later?”

Ben nods before taking his coffee and ducking out into the hallway to go back to his cases.

- - - - - -

At the end of the Christmas Day shift, Elena slides her arm into Poe’s as they make their way to the car. The day had been a long one, with what seemed like an endless stream of patients coming through the ER. Usually, as a pediatrician, she doesn’t see such an influx of cases, but today seemed to be everything from kids sticking toys up their noses to falls on their brand new scooters or skateboards. She does her best to stifle a yawn as they get closer to the car.

“It’s unreal that things were that busy on Christmas.”

Poe smirks. “Holidays are too tame in Mystic Falls.”

“Honestly, no, they’re not. But I had hoped that things weren’t susceptible to our particular brand of bad luck.” Elena shakes her head as she reaches the passenger’s side door. “I had hoped that the rest of the world was, you know … happier?”

Poe laughs as he slides around to the driver’s side and plops onto the seat. “Yeah, well. Turns out Indiana’s just like everywhere else.”

Elena shakes her head before sliding in next to him and trying not to fall asleep for the short ride home. “I don’t know about you, but I think after presents and food, I might just pass out entirely.”

“I hear that,” Poe nods, before starting the ignition and driving them off to the apartments.

As they make their way down the hallway, Elena finds a piece of paper taped to the front of her door, on which her brother had scribbled: Went over to Poe and Finn’s. See you there.

Poe notices when she doesn’t go into the apartment right away, and he frowns. “Something wrong?”

She pulls off the sign and shows it to him. “I’m supposed to go to your place?”

His eyebrows go up in return. “That’s news to me.” He doesn’t stop her, though, just waving his hand for her to follow as he fishes out his keys to open the door. Elena shrugs as she walks closer, arriving in time for him to open the door and for the smell of food to assault their senses.

“Was Finn supposed to be cooking?”

“Not that I am aware of?” Poe replies before making his way into the room. Sprawled out on the couches nearby are three grown men playing what looks like a video game while a dark-haired woman works hard in the kitchen.

“Lisa?” Elena frowns, Ben’s mother being the last person she expected to see.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Lisa smiles as she turns around before glancing over to Poe. “I hope you don’t mind. I would have set up at Elena’s, but her kitchen doesn’t do anything other than take-out or frozen dinners.”

“It’s fine, especially when it smells that good,” Poe replies, moving through the apartment to get a better look. “Besides, we’ve learned to accept all of Elena’s shortcomings.”

Before turning to the boys, Elena rolls her eyes, fixing her intent mom stare on her boyfriend, who she suspects is the culprit. “What is all this?”

Ben flashes her a smile. “Well, we figured if you couldn’t come to Christmas dinner, Christmas dinner would come to you.”

The gesture is unbelievably sweet, and she smiles. Still, she can feel the weariness in her bones and the fact that she’s still dressed in her hospital scrubs. She glances over to Lisa. “Is there enough time for me to go get cleaned up really quick?”

Lisa nods before gesturing for Poe to do the same. “Sounds good. It’ll give me time to get the three couch potatoes to set the table. Last race, Ben.”

Elena laughs, making her way out of the apartment as the warm bickering fades behind her.

- - - - - -

Dinner was delicious, as was dessert, and after a quick swapping of presents, they all retreat to their separate corners. Finn and Poe get their apartment back, Jeremy returns to Elena’s, while Elena helps Lisa and Ben carry everything back to the car. Both of their fridges are loaded with enough leftovers to last them a week, even with their busy schedules. Once all the pans, containers, and presents get stowed away, Elena corners Ben by the trunk, sliding her arms around his waist.

“Do you want to stay?” she asks. “I can’t promise I’m good for much beyond sleeping, but it’ll give us a head start on tomorrow.”

“As much as I would love that,” Ben begins, leaning in to kiss her softly. “My mom’s not that great at driving at night. I should get her home. But I will be back here bright and early tomorrow. I can even bring breakfast if you want.”

Elena nods with a small smile before pushing up on her toes to kiss him. “This was nice. Thank you for doing this.”

“Of course,” Ben nods, kissing her twice more before pulling away. “It was the least I could do.” Elena watches him as he heads over to the driver’s side door. “Merry Christmas. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Elena nods with a broad smile as she waves them both away. “See you tomorrow.”

As the headlights disappear into the distance, she makes her way back upstairs to her apartment. Jeremy’s stretched out on the couch, practically in a food coma, but he rouses just enough to catch her before she heads into her room.

“Hey, Elena?”

“Yeah, Jer?”

“If you ever tell him this, I’ll claim you’re lying,” he begins drowsily. “But I like this one.”

Elena smirks as she watches him. “Do you like him, or do you like his mom’s cooking?”

“Does it matter?” He mumbles, and she shakes her head before turning to go back into her room. “Good night, Jer. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christ—” And her brother is asleep before the words finish leaving his lips.

yeah you are my home, my home for all seasons | dean & lisa | 2,066

[hasperkynipples]

Getting used to the swing of things in an ordinary world has had a steeper learning curve than Dean expected. It isn’t so much the staying in one place or not actively looking for a hunt every time he opened the newspaper, but more the smaller, social intricacies: getting a job when you barely have a GED. Socializing with people regularly, rather than just at a funeral – if they made it to the funeral. Some parts of having a consistent world and day-to-day routine have been good for him.

He still misses Sam like crazy, but he can at least manage things like socializing with his colleagues and having someone come home to like Lisa and Ben helps. God only knows why Lisa let him in the door that day, but he’s grateful that she did.

Winter starts to fall around Cicero, and snow covers the ground before they finish with Thanksgiving. People had gotten their lights up over the weekend, and while there is undoubtedly a part of Dean that would one hundred percent go whole hog on a fancy light set up if Lisa gave him the opportunity, he’s following Lisa and Ben’s lead on this one.

Also, Lisa might not trust him with the electrical system. And you know what? That’s fair. There were some incidents with appliances that do not need repeating.

Lisa, the sharp woman she is, has learned that while Dean may be charming enough to get through conversations with most people, regular social interactions that were more “normal” were still a bit of a struggle. She also seems to sense when he has one of those questions just by the look on his face because as she turns to plate some of the veggies for dinner, she raises an eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“So my boss at the construction site invited us to the corporate holiday party at the head honcho’s house.”

Lisa nods slowly. “And that’s a problem?”

“No. Not necessarily. I want to make sure I’m prepared. I have a minimal frame of reference for these things.”

“I see,” Lisa smirks, almost teasing. “And what frame of reference is this?”

“Die Hard.”

Lisa laughs, and he grins back at her, but he’s only half kidding. Nakatomi Plaza may be a worst-case scenario, but when you’re talking about Dean Winchester, his life is a series of worst-case scenarios tacked on top of each other. He wants to be prepared.

“I’m pretty sure terrorists aren’t going to invade a holiday party at your boss’s house.”

“My boss’s boss’s house.”

“Either way, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“You never know. John McClaine didn’t think so either, and look what happened.”

Lisa shakes her head. “Okay. If the worst-case scenario happens, I think you’re ready. But I have a feeling it’s the best-case scenario you’re worried about here?”

Dean shrugs. “I know it’s a … everyone gets invited thing, but I haven’t exactly talked to my boss much. I don’t want to have the other worst-case scenario happen, which is me making an ass of myself and losing my job.”

Not because he’s particularly attached to his job as a job, but more because it’s one of the few things keeping him sane now, and he wants to avoid having nothing to do all day. That’s the kind of thing that would send him looking for a hunt, and he promised Lisa if he did, he would keep it local and deal with supernatural incidents on a case-by-case basis.

“Well, lucky for you, you have a hot girlfriend who is good at smoothing things over,” Lisa smirks at him as she hands him the plates to set the table. “When’s the party?”

“Two weeks from now? It’s an evening party.”

“Perfect. Then I’ll make sure Ben can crash at a friend’s for the evening, and I’ll be your backup.”

Dean sets the plates down in their appropriate places before turning as Lisa makes her way closer with the hot pan of food. He takes it from her gently before leaning in for a kiss. “Thank you. I honestly don’t know why you put up with me sometimes.”

Lisa smirks. “I’m a sucker for a handsome face. Also, it’s my job as your girlfriend to make you look good, or that doesn’t reflect very well on me now, does it?”

Dean laughs before nodding his agreement. “You got it. But you’re right. Things will probably be fine.”

* * * * *

Things, as it turns out, were not fine.

At first, it did start as fine. Dean’s boss’s boss was pleasant, friendly even. Most of the time, Dean could spend talking with the guys he knew as Lisa made friends with their wives. It was almost the epitome of average, save for a few things he didn’t expect.

One, his boss lives in a goddamn mansion. If Dean didn’t know better, he’d say that the building took up a full block, with a long, winding driveway that leads up to the home itself. It featured big rooms with plenty of space for guests and a full gallery of art, perfectly curated by someone who had the money to do so. And some of the taste was a bit weird. Granted, Dean isn’t exactly the highest consumer of fine art, but honestly, some of it is a little … grotesque.

Still, the man signs the checks. Dean won’t judge it – at least not while the tour is happening.

There’s one painting, in particular, that happens to catch his eye as he makes his way through the room. Not necessarily because of the artwork itself, but he sees in the glass protective case because of the reflection. The hollow, sunken eyes of the ghost stare back at him over his shoulder, and when Dean turns around, there’s nothing there. Stepping back, he glances at the nameplate before excusing himself and making his way to the bathroom.

While he’s there, he fishes out his phone and goes to town googling. While nothing comes up necessarily on the painter, the subject itself was said to be a djinn-like creature, who is said to bargain prosperity for human hearts. Lovely. Dean’s willing to bet that the ghost is one of its victims, but the creature had to be somewhere on the premises.

It wouldn’t be somewhere prominent, like on the main floor, so he looks for a door that might lead to a basement or wine cellar before making his way downstairs. His eyes run over the doors on the lower level, looking for something that might house his hunch. Eventually, he catches the scent of something rotting at the far end of the floor. He follows it forward, reaching for the doorknob at the heart of it, and pulls it open to see the creature, in the flesh, munching on its latest meal of human hearts. Dean starts before slamming the door behind him. He takes a breather, trying to figure out what to do with this information, but knowing more than anything that he needs to get Lisa out of here.

He practically runs back up to the main floor and back into the open living room. Dean takes a moment to scan the faces until he finds his girlfriend and makes his way over, draping an arm around her waist as she parts from the group.

“There you are,” she says, leaning into him as he leads her away. “Where have you been?”

“Oh, you know me. Scoping out the appetizers,” Dean says, loud enough for anyone overhearing to hear, before dropping his voice low to whisper in her ear. “Nakatomi Plaza. Nakatomi Plaza.”

Lisa pulls back and looks at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

He glances over his shoulder to make sure no one’s listening in on their conversation. “I’m pretty sure my boss’s boss has a monster in his basement.”

Lisa’s eyes widen. “Seriously?” Dean nods, and Lisa frowns. “Any chance it’s a nice monster?”

“Pretty sure there’s no such thing as a nice monster.”

“Great.” Lisa frowns. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Dean shrugs. “I have to kill it. It’s pretty nasty.”

Lisa takes a deep breath before glancing around the rest of the room. “Okay. Then … let’s go kill it.”

This time, it was Dean’s turn to be surprised. “Seriously?”

“You can’t do this alone.” Lisa straightens, before nodding, almost as though she’s convinced herself that this is how she’s going to spend the party. “What do we need to do?”

* * * * * *

After scrounging up a few supplies from his car, they smuggle their way back into the party and down to the basement. Dean sets up Lisa at the alcove door where the monster is chained up and hands her a crowbar.

“Just in case,” he nods. “You be the lookout.”

Lisa’s nose wrinkles as she looks around. “It smells foul down here.”

“Yeah, it’s about to look worse.” Dean nods to the hallway. “Keep an eye out for if someone’s coming. I’ve got everything over here.”

Lisa nods, turning her eyes in the appropriate direction. Dean then takes a deep breath, opening the door and throwing himself inside to do battle with the creature in question. It doesn’t take long for them to fall into a solid wrestling pattern when he suddenly hears a male voice over his shoulder.

“What the hell do you think you’re …”

CLUNK!

The man drops like a sack of bricks, and Dean glances over to see his boss’s boss out cold on the floor, with Lisa holding the crowbar above him. He can’t help but grin.

“Nice, babe.”

“Thanks.” Then she looks over, and her eyes widen as the monster comes for Dean again. “Dean!”

Dean’s attention snaps back to the matter at hand, wrestling the creature into submission and driving the iron nails straight into its heart – it will have to do in place of an iron bullet or knife. When the beast finally gives up the ghost, Dean steps away and looks back to Lisa with a nod.

“You good?”

She nods in return. “Are you?”

“Yeah.” He feels good. Better than he has in a while if he’s quite honest, but he doesn’t have to tell Lisa that. “Let’s get out of here.”

Lisa follows him before glancing back over her shoulder at the still unconscious body on the ground. “What about him?”

Dean glances up and sees the edges of the ghosts he’d seen earlier, all starting to gather around the man. All the souls he sacrificed in the name of his power, coming to get their revenge with his protection finally gone. Dean’s not about to stop them if this is the thing that puts them at peace, and if Lisa notices them, she doesn’t acknowledge it, so Dean doesn’t either. He doesn’t need to know about this part of the job – the part that gets a little too messy.

“He’ll be fine. I’ll call his wife or something once we’re far enough away.” Dean tucks his arm around her shoulder and leads her out the way they came. “Let’s go home.”

* * * * *

“Is it always like that? Being on a hunt?” Lisa asks as they settle into bed back home. Dean shrugs, unable to confirm things one way or another. He can’t tell her that sometimes it’s worse, not really.

“Yeah, that’s generally pretty typical.”

Lisa shudders as he settles in next to her. “That was terrifying.”

“Yeah, that’s about right.” He shifts the subject to get away from things he would rather forget. “What about office Christmas parties? Was that pretty typical?”

Lisa shrugs, letting him guide her away from the topic as she settles into his arms. “More or less. Maybe a little more people drinking too much egg nog and going to get frisky in inappropriate places.”

Dean’s eyebrows go up, and a smile crosses his face. “Oooh, next year.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Sure, big guy. We’ll try to have a more normal experience next year.” She leans in to kiss him softly, slowly letting him pull her in closer. “And that doesn’t mean we can’t get a little frisky here.”

Dean is more than amenable to that, laughing against her lips as they sink further under the covers. “Merry Christmas to me.”

Merry Christmas, indeed.