16 Unicorn Street, Saturday Afternoon

[bigdamnprincipal]

Zoe had gotten to liking Saturdays in general, but she was especially happy today now that John and the boys were home. She would have been glad to see them return even without the gun, but it was good to know that their trip, and all the mess surrounding it, wasn't for nothing.

[For the menfolk, especially the stubbornest Winchester of all.]

Comments

[likethegun]

Sam had stayed to the back when they got to the house, letting John and Dean greet Zoe first. True to his word, Dean hadn't said anything to John about what Sam had said to Zoe, so it was only Dean who shot him looks as he finally approached her. "Hey," he said quietly.

[bigdamnprincipal]

Zoe'd had a lot of time to think while the boys were gone, and while she was a little less angry at Sam, she was still mad enough to give him a colder look. "I see you found your dad."

[likethegun]

"Yeah. Or, he found us, really. He's a much better tracker than we are," Sam admitted, before lowering his voice a little. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

[bigdamnprincipal]

There were moments over the last few days where Zoe had wondered if Sam was going to apologize, and it made her feel a little better to see that he was going to at least try. "Sure. Is there something you'd like to say to me?"

[likethegun]

Sam nodded, and moved closer to her, so he was between her and Dean and his dad. "I just...I had a really long car ride to try to come up with something to say to you, and I realized how hard it is to apologize when you've done something really awful," he said. "Zoe, I'm really sorry about what I said to you. I didn't mean it at all."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"It sure sounded like you meant it," Zoe said. "And if you didn't mean it, why'd you say it?"

[likethegun]

"I...that's what I do when I get angry. Dean will tell you, Dad will tell you--it's like my brain just shuts off, and all I can think of to say are things to try to make the other person as angry as I am. And the thing is, I wasn't mad at you," Sam said. "I was mad at Dad, and I took it out on you, and I'm sorry."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Do you fight like that with your father?" Zoe asked, leaving everything else alone for the moment.

[likethegun]

"Sometimes," Sam admitted. "It got kind of bad when Dean wasn't around to keep us civil. He hates it when we fight, so we don't do it as much around him."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Can I say that I don't like the idea of the two of you fighting either?" Zoe said. "Especially when it spills into fighting with the rest of us."

[likethegun]

"I'm sorry," Sam said weakly. "I didn't mean what I said at all. You're the only mother I've ever known, and I love having you in our lives. I shouldn't have gotten angry, and I definitely shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Well, you did," Zoe said simply. "I want to keep you boys safe just as much as your father does, and I'm not just going to lightly throw around orders because I feel like it. If I ask you to do something, or tell you to do something, it's important."

[likethegun]

Sam looked down at his hands. "I know," he said, nodding. "I'm sorry."

[bigdamnprincipal]

Zoe watched him quietly for a few moments, before sighing. "You get one do-over, understand? Consider this our boundary setting. If you ever speak to me like that again, I will come down on you so hard you'll never forget it."

[likethegun]

The knot in Sam's stomach loosened a little, and he just nodded, too worried about saying the wrong thing at the moment to speak.

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Good. Now come here," Zoe said, pulling him into a hug.

[likethegun]

Sam let out a long sigh as he hugged Zoe tightly. "I'm so sorry."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"I know. And I accept your apology," Zoe said. "You can continue to show how sorry you are when you come here every Saturday morning for the next month to help me around the house."

[likethegun]

It took a minute for what Zoe said to really sink in, since Sam was used to running laps and cleaning guns for punishment. "Every Saturday morning?"

[bigdamnprincipal]

"For a month."

[likethegun]

Sam figured the loss of weekend sleep was a small price to pay for forgiveness here. "That sounds good," he said sincerely. "Thank you."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean hung back and watched while Sammy talked to Zoe, obstensibly busying himself with Gracie, but making sure that things that needed to be said got said. When Sammy moved away, he took his place.

"So everything okay?" he asked causally.

[likethegun]

"Yeah, everything's good," Sam said, smiling. "I'm going to be Zoe's slave on Saturdays, but I think she's in the process of forgiving me."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"She is the principal too, y'know," Dean pointed out. "She could've just given you detention for eternity."

[likethegun]

"She could have given me detention forever if I did something wrong in school," Sam said. "This was personal."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Alec and I once got detention because we weren't sleeping together," Dean pointed out. "So she could've found a reason if she wanted to."

[likethegun]

"I don't think she's like that. The personal stays personal," Sam said. "And it's a fitting punishment, I think. Not like cleaning guns. Or detailing the car."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Hey, you tried to steal the Impala -- I think detailing it is very appropriate punishment."

[likethegun]

"I would have come to find you before I actually went anywhere," Sam said. "I don't think I really would have been able to leave."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"That's because you know I would've killed you if you hotwired her," Dean said, half teasing.

[likethegun]

"Exactly, and I like being alive," Sam teased. "Plus, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you. I know that."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, because I was totally the geek research boy on this," Dean said smugly.

[likethegun]

"You didn't do any research," Sam said. "You asked questions and got answers, that's it."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

When the boys left, John sighed and took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Zoe and pull her close. "I missed this."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Me too," she said, sliding her arms around him and fitting herself into place against him. "Are you sure you're all right? No injuries you're manfully hiding from me?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Nah." He pointed at the back of his head. "Took a hit but I've got a thick skull."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"I'm glad you're willing to admit that so I don't have to," Zoe teased, leaning up to give him a kiss. "Vampires? Really?"

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Really. Not like the kind that we've had here occasionally. These you have to decapitate to make sure they're dead."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Zoe said with a touch of sarcasm. "You're doing your own laundry."

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

John chuckled. "Was planning on it. I've got used to getting bloodstains out. Also, slime, ectoplasm...."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"All right, you're doing your own laundry forever," Zoe replied.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"Really, baby fluids are often a lot worse," John assured her.

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Nothing that has ever come out of our daughter could be referred to as ectoplasm," Zoe insisted.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I know. Ectoplasm doesn't stink like baby poop."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"Don't let Grace hear you say she stinks. You might hurt her feelings," Zoe teased.

[demons-death.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't the one joking about getting a gas mask to change diapers."

[bigdamnprincipal]

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zoe said, smirking as she moved closer to John. "So what happens now? Now that you have the colt?"