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

[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."