A/N: Hey all! Hope everyone's doing okay. I know it's been such a long time since I updated, and I'm sorry about that. My Internet was down for a whole month, and before that I just didn't feel like doing anything, even writing. But, I finally got this chapter done, and I'm glad about that.

So, this is the last chapter of this story. There's a part of me that's glad, and there's a part of me that's sad to see it end. Part of me feels proud that I got a whole story posted and done on here, so that's pretty cool. For me, anyway. I'd like to take a moment and thank a few people that have given me support and suggestions from start to end on this adventure. You all mean very much to me, and your support is priceless. So, right now I'd like to thank Sierra Rose 22, Ava Ward, wordswontstop (Rye) moonlitdreams65, caymus, sammygrrl00, wandamarie, Cornered Scream, felicat101, and browneyedchic for your words of encouragement, as well as your words of comfort when my father passed away. You're all wonderful. Never change.

And thank you to Peitho, who left a review that I had failed to see until now. It seems you're a guest, because I can't click on your name. I was going to send you a PM thanking you, but I'll just have to do that here. So, thank you so much for your review! It was nice seeing it, and it lifted my spirits. I'm so glad you've been enjoying the story!

Also, I would like to thank Reading Delight for showing me that the world will not end if someone does not like my story, and feels the need to be ugly in a review. I learned when things like this happen, life still goes on, and it is still good. So, thank you for that! ;-)

And now, without further ado, I present to you the final chapter of The Life Of A Winchester Woman. I hope you all enjoy it.

Six Months later: Fort Worth, Texas

SQUEAK! SQUEAK!

"Rivan."

SQUEAK!

"Rivan." SQUEAK! "Rivan!"

Something small and soft suddenly made contact with my head, and my eyes flew open in shock. I was currently standing in the middle of a bed in a motel in Fort Worth, my ear buds in and listening to music on my iPod. Eden stood in the doorway of the room that connected to the one Sam and I shared, looking at me with a grin on her face. She had a rolled up sock in one hand, and I looked down to see another one resting on the bed, where it had fallen after colliding with my head. Smiling, I pulled the ear buds out.

"Did you just throw your sock at me?" I asked, trying to sound indignant.

Eden laughed. "Yep! But don't worry. That was a clean one," she added.

"Well thanks for that," I told her with a smirk. "Your dirty ones are like fluffy stink bombs."

I watched as my best friend's eyes went wide. A smile spread across her face, enhancing her natural beauty. "Hey!" she cried out, sounding indignant herself, though it was softened by amusment.

I grinned at her. "Just kidding!" I assured her. "So, what's up?" I asked as I jumped up and down on the bed a little. I'd been dancing on the mattress while listening to my music, and I was still in the mood to move. With Sam and Dean out on a job, I'd been bored all day long. This was the way I'd chosen to entertain myself.

Eden shook her head at me. "What're you doing?" she asked me.

"Listening to music," I said as I held my dangling ear buds up. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun!" I added. "Cyndi Lauper," I explained when Eden frowned.

"Oh!" she said, and then made a face at me. "Why are you listening to that old song?"

I shrugged. "Because I'm a girl and I just wanna have fun!" I told her, jumping up into the air and twirling around a bit.

Eden laughed. "It's a good thing we don't have neighbors," she said.

"Yeah, I'm glad we made sure so I could do this!" I told her, bouncing some more.

Eden rolled her eyes at me. "You've got a lot of energy today," she remarked.

"We've been stuck in this motel all day," I reminded her. "I've got to work my energy off somehow. Wanna join me?" I asked. "You can take the other bed." I pointed at the empty one next to me as I jumped and danced across the bed I was on.

Eden made another face at me. "I tried that already, remember?" she said with a frown. "Dean walked in and caught me. He said if he ever caught me doing it again, he'd spank me," she added with a pout. "If I did it now, he'd come in and catch me because I'm just that lucky. I don't want to get in trouble over it again."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Dean can be way too uptight sometimes. Tell him to shove it!"

"Yeah, right," Eden said, her tone dry. "That wouldn't help much."

"True," I said. I paused a moment. "What was his problem with it, anyway?"

"He didn't want me to fall off the bed and hurt myself," she snorted.

"Geez, he can be such a worry wart sometimes," I said as I stretched my arms out, bringing them up over my head.

"I agree," Eden said with a sigh. She watched me for a moment and then suddenly frowned rather intensely. "Hey, didn't Sam catch you doing this, too? It was a few weeks ago, wasn't it?" she asked as she eyed me.

I let my arms drop down to my sides before giving her a wide eyed, innocent look. "What're you talking about? Didn't he catch me doing what?" I asked her in an almost perfect puzzled tone.

Eden gave me a look that promised she wasn't buying my act. "Jumping on a bed," she told me with narrowed eyes. "He caught you doing it and he wasn't very happy about it," she added.

I made a face at her. "Well…yeah. He did catch me." I admitted. Poo. Why did she have to remember that?

Eden nodded. "And didn't he tell you not to do it again?" she asked next.

I sighed. "Yep, he did!" I confirmed, grinning at her.

Eden groaned and folded her arms. "Rivan, you better stop, then. You don't want Sam to walk in and catch you. You know he wouldn't be happy if he found you doing it when he told you not to."

I snorted. "Nah, it'll be fine," I said, waving away her concern like the idiot I can be sometimes. "So what are you doing?"

She stared at me. "Surfing the Internet," she said. "I'm still using your laptop. Is that okay?"

Oh yeah, I did finally get my laptop back, by the way. "Of course!" I told her with a laugh. "Go, use it. I don't mind. I'm going to continue my dance routine." With that I began jumping up and down on the bed again, still grinning.

Eden groaned again. "Rivan! You really need to stop! You're gonna get in trouble! Please?" she begged me. "I hate it when you get in trouble. I hate to see you upset. And why are you suddenly doing something Sam told you not to do again? You've been really good at not getting yourself in trouble these past few months. Do you seriously want to throw all of your hard work down the drain just so you can jump on a bed?"

Now it was my turn to groan as I paused in my jumping. "Eden, give me a break!" I told her. "Like I said before, we've been stuck in this motel all day. I have to do something or I'll go crazy! Look," I added when Eden closed her eyes and shook her head. "Even if Sam did catch me, I don't think he'd come down on me too hard. He's been pretty patient with me since I've been doing so well at behaving myself. I've screwed up in little ways before now and all he usually does is chew me out."

"Yeah, I know, but like I said before, he wasn't at all happy the first time he caught you jumping on a bed. Do you really think he'd be so easy going if he caught you doing it again? Especially when he told you not to? Think, Rivan!" Eden moaned at me.

Well, crap. "Fine, I won't jump anymore," I told her. "I'll just stand here and listen to my music and think or something. But I won't jump!" I added. "I promise!" I vowed, hoping to make her feel better.

My promise didn't help much. "Oh, Rivvie!" Eden half wailed. "You're so damn stubborn sometimes! If you weren't my very best friend in the whole world, I'd call Sam right now and tell on you!"

I froze and stared at her. "You would not," I said in a horrified whisper.

Eden groaned again and shoved her fingers through her rich, black hair before swearing. "Of course I wouldn't!" she snapped, clearly frustrated. "But I just don't want you to get in trouble! What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," I admitted. "Nothing at all. But I promise I won't get in trouble. I'll listen for Sam and when I hear him unlocking the door, I'll get off the bed real quick. Okay?"

She sighed loudly and glared at me, but I could see the reluctant defeat in her eyes. "Fine," she grumbled. "Just be sure to really listen, okay? Sometimes you go off to la-la land and forget what you need to be doing."

"I do not!" I told her, grinning now.

"You do too," Eden insisted. "Now remember, just listen. I'm going back to my room now. Keep an ear out for tall, strong, and grumpy," she added as she turned to leave.

I laughed. "He's not always grumpy," I told her. She muttered something but I didn't catch it, and then she was gone.

For a moment I just stood there on the bed thinking, and then with a sigh I put my ear buds back in. The iPod had switched to a new song while Eden and I had been talking, and quickly I put it back on my Cyndi Lauper song. After setting it on repeat play, I started up my dance routine, figuring it would be okay for a little while, at least. Hey, I couldn't help it. I'm the kind of person that just has to keep moving. But as I danced back and forth listening to my music, my mind wandered a little.

This was what I usually did with my days anymore. Well, not all the time. My days weren't always this boring. After leaving the Maine house in January, we'd gone back to our regular routine. In the last six months, Eden and I had traveled all over the United States with Sam and Dean. There seemed to be plenty of monster cases to keep the guys busy, and most of the time Eden and I stayed holed up in whatever motel room Sam and Dean put us in.

But we weren't always doomed to stare at motel walls. Recently, Sam and Dean had set up a system for us, so to speak. To make a long story short, they'd made it to where Eden and I could actually go to malls and movies from time to time. It had taken a while to get this system set up, though.

Sam and Dean had told us that if we wanted to be able to go out and do stuff like that, we had to learn a few things. For example, we both had to learn the spell to exorcise a demon, as well as the spell to make our own Holy water. I already had half of that one memorized, so that part was easy for me. Then we had to learn how to make a devil's trap. Though I had made one in Maine, Sam said I could use some practice. Ugh. But anyway, once that was all done, we then had to buy new, huge purses so we could carry all the protective things that Sam and Dean said we had to have on us.

The things on our protective list were many things, like small squirt bottles of Holy water, rosaries to make more Holy water, salt shakers full of rock salt, about a dozen different amulets, a small silver knife, a small brass knife, a small iron knife, pepper spray, a lock pick, a backup cell phone, a backup credit card, a hex bag, a backup hex bag, a fake ID, a backup fake ID, a short list of friendly contacts in case Eden and I can't reach Bobby for some reason, and spray paint in case we need to make a devil's trap.

Needless to say, the purses Eden and I carried were heavy and often a pain to carry around. Quite literally. After walking around a mall for about twenty minutes, my right shoulder, where I always slung my purse, would start to ache. Then I'd switch it to my other shoulder, only to have it start aching soon after that. Eden was the same. I don't know how many times we had to sit down and rest just because our purses were so heavy.

But in the end, a heavy purse was a small price to pay for the freedom of going to the mall or to the movies. Sometimes Eden and I got to do both. We didn't get to go all the time, though. There were rules in place about it. Whenever we stopped at a town for Sam and Dean to do a job, they always had to take a few days to check things out and see how dangerous it was. In the past they had done many jobs where the danger was affecting the entire town. If that was the case, then shopping trips were out of the question.

But if they were hunting a ghost or some other creature that only stayed in one spot, Sam and Dean felt comfortable enough to let us have a little fun. But we couldn't just up and go. Before we left, Sam and Dean always checked our supplies and made sure we had plenty of everything. I don't know why. Eden and I had yet to use any of the items we carried. I think Sam and Dean were afraid that we'd sneak stuff out of our purses, just to ease the weight we had to carry.

But Eden and I would never jeopardize a trip to the mall. Often when Sam and Dean dropped us off at one, we'd be there hours at a time, and we always had a blast. But we had rules we had to follow while we were at the mall, as well. Of course, the main rule: Do not leave the mall for any reason, unless some natural disaster hit. We'd been told more than once that, if we ever left the mall, there would be no more going to them or movies for a solid six months. Not to mention the fact that we wouldn't be able to sit very comfortably during most of those six months. Needless to say, Eden and I took these warnings very seriously.

And then there was the money rule. We were not allowed to use our credit cards, unless it was an emergency. Finding a pair of shoes or an outfit that we just had to have was not an emergency, as we'd been told. We could only use cash while shopping. Of course, we didn't have any money of our own, but we did have very sweet, loving boyfriends.

Since we'd started this whole mall and movies business, Sam and Dean had been putting in extra time at the pool and poker tables. It was the best way for them to get cash. The money they got from these activities no longer covered just food, motel, and gas fare. They now gambled for money to give to us so we could eat while in a mall, and sometimes even buy a little something that took our fancy.

But sometimes the money issues were another reason why Eden and I couldn't always go have that kind of fun. Sometimes there just wasn't enough money left for us to do that. When that problem came up, we never ever complained. Sam and Dean worked hard to bring down terrible creatures pretty much every day, and now on top of it they took even more time out of their days just to win money to give to us for shopping and eating purposes. I often felt guilty about it, and Eden did too. Whenever one of us voiced these feelings though, we were immediately told not to worry about it.

"We want you two to have as normal a life as you possibly can," Sam had told us one day while driving down the road. "Dean and I don't mind getting extra money so you girls can go have some fun every now and then."

"But you guys don't get to have any fun," I'd pointed out.

"Sure we do," Dean had tossed in. "You think it's not fun to gank monsters every day? Sam and I have the time of our lives doin' that."

"Speak for yourself," Sam had muttered.

Dean had glanced over at him. "What, you don't think saving lives is fun?" he demanded sharply.

Sam had sighed loudly. "I never said that, Dean," he'd replied, his tone dark. "All I'm saying is, it's not always fun to cut heads off of things, or stab them, or any of the other ways we kill things. But the satisfaction of saving a life is worth all of that. That's why I do it. That's always why I've done it. That, and because I can protect the ones I love by ridding the world of every monster I can get a hold of."

Dean didn't say anything to that, and I had been glad because I could see that the conversation could have easily turned into a nasty argument. But I still couldn't help but feel bad about the mall situation. Though, later that night while in bed, Sam had gathered me in his arms and again assured me that he didn't mind doing what he had to in order to make me smile. He begged me not to worry about it and just enjoy it, and I had gone ahead and done so. Making me happy made him happy, after all. Maybe thinking like that made me a serious brat, huh?

But anyway, that was the biggest change in my life of traveling with Sam and Dean. It made a life of constant traveling not quite as boring. Another good thing about my life now was the fact that I hadn't had any more bad dreams. Not even one. Sam asked me about it all the time, and I was always happy to say that no bad dreams were haunting my nights. And even better, I hadn't felt strange at all, in any way shape or form. Life was going pretty good. But of course, there were always bumps in the road.

As far as spankings went, I hadn't had one for six whole months. Well, let me re-word that. I hadn't had a serious one for six whole months. I'd gotten a few swats here and there for my bratty attitude and stubbornness, because I just can't seem to give those two habits up completely. Though I do have to admit, I don't pull that on Sam as much as I used to. Like Eden had said, I've been doing pretty good at behaving myself. Of course, that had a lot to do with the fact that I knew Sam had brought that brush from the Maine house with him. The Hell Brush. Ugh. I hated that thing! But its presence and Sam's sternness kept me in line well enough. As a result, so far I've managed to get by with just a few swats.

So yeah, I'm happy to report that I haven't had a long, hard spanking since the last one Sam gave me in Maine. My biggest spanking since then had consisted of five smacks, due to an intense brat fit I'd had on Sam one evening when he wouldn't let me come with him to a bar he was going to with the intent of playing detective. It had been for a job, of course. But anyway, after I had stupidly stomped my foot at him during my fit, he had taken me by surprise when he had marched me over to the bed, sat down, and pulled me down across his lap to deliver those five smacks. It had been the first time I'd been over his lap like that since Maine. Thankfully that had been the only punishment I'd gotten that day. It had been more than enough.

Eden hadn't gotten a lot of spankings in the past six months either. But I do have to say that between the two of us, she's gotten the worse one, and not that long ago, either. One of the other reasons why we hadn't suffered much from warm buns was because it wasn't always plausible for Sam and Dean to deliver that kind of punishment. For one thing, it was hard to do in motel rooms because of the noise factor. A serious butt blistering was out of the question while in a motel. Both Eden and I picked up on that, and for a very short while Eden used it to her advantage. Her attitude was, "Ha, ha! You can't spank me while we're in a motel because everyone will hear!"

While that part was true, more or less, what Eden didn't realize, and I don't know why, is that Dean was more than willing to give a spanking somewhere else. One morning she had woken up in a very sassy, daring mood, which had carried over from the night before, actually. Anyway, she had whined and complained and pouted about everything, and when Dean had finally told her to knock it off or else, she had promptly flipped him off, cursing at him while she did.

We'd been ready to go at that point, and once Eden was done with her fit, Dean had marched her outside and put her in the backseat of the Impala. After checking out we'd left, and it had been dead quiet in the car. Dean hadn't taken us directly to the Interstate as usual. Instead he drove around the small town, which he had gotten to know very well since we had spent two whole weeks there.

"Dean, what're you doing?" Sam had asked him. Dean hadn't responded, and no one spoke after that. Well, what Dean had been doing was taking us to a quiet, deserted, dead end road that he had discovered not long after we'd pulled into town. This road was on the outskirts of town, far from all eyes and ears.

Unfortunately for Eden, this was where she got her spanking. Dean had pulled over, jerked her out of the car, and marched her over to the trunk of the Impala. Then he'd sat down right there, pulled Eden over his lap, and had laid into her butt, making her howl in shock and pain. Of course I had attempted to get out of the car to help her, but Sam had only to say my name to stop me. I'd already had the door open, but I closed it quickly when he'd growled out a warning.

"Don't think I won't pull you out of this car and do the same thing," he'd told me once I had the door shut and my seatbelt back on.

I had wisely kept my mouth shut. Like I said, the memory of that brush on my bare butt was more than enough to keep me in line. I still tested Sam, but nowhere near as much or as badly as I used to. And not just because I was trying to avoid a spanking. I was still working hard on being a better behaved girlfriend for the man that deserved one. But, just like everyone else, I'm not perfect. But hey, I do try!

After Eden's roadside spanking, Sam and Dean put in a new punishment system, so to speak. Now, when we got in trouble and handing out a spanking wasn't something that could easily be done, we could expect to get grounded. Being grounded while on the road meant no mall or movies for however long the grounding was for. And depending on how serious the crime was, we could also expect early bedtime to be enforced as well. Both Eden and I had been grounded at least twice so far. Two weeks was the most we'd ever gotten since this started.

Let me tell you, it had been hell. Because if just one of us gets grounded, it's like the other gets punished too. If Eden can't go to any malls or movies for a week or two, that meant I couldn't either. And vice versa. Neither one of us were permitted to go out alone. Because of that we both tried to stay out of trouble as often as possible.

When I got in trouble, Sam often used other punishments if I hadn't done anything bad enough to get grounded over, or spanked. Since he had made me stand in the corner that one time in Maine, he now thought it was a good idea to make me do it if I couldn't control my smart mouth. Oh, how I hated to stand in the corner! It was embarrassing and frustrating. I swear, I almost would rather get spanked. Almost. Not quite. A spanking from Sam was still the most dreaded punishment. Corner time took second place. But I had to be thankful about one thing. Sam didn't make me do it very often. The only time he sends me to a corner is when he's seriously pissed. So far, he had only gotten that pissed twice.

Anyway, when I have gotten that particular punishment, it didn't always end with corner time. Depending on what I had done or said, once I got out of the corner, Sam would make me go to bed, no matter what time it was. Once he made me go to bed at six in the evening. I complained a little too much and actually got a few swats right there in the motel, though there hadn't been much noise for any outsiders to pick up on. I'd been too shocked to make much noise, to be honest.

I'd yet to get a roadside spanking, or an RSS as Eden and I were calling it nowadays. A stupid name for it I know, but oh well. But at least that was one thing I can say that I've managed to avoid so far. For which I am very, very glad. I mean, come on! A spanking right there on the side of the road? How embarrassing can you get? Only Sam and Dean can be that determined to carry out a spanking. Ugh.

Anyway, that about sums up the last six months. A lot has changed. Most of it for the better, thankfully. Sam's love for me was still gentle and tender, though as always he was not afraid to use a firm hand when he needed to. But as I said before, those times didn't come up as often as they used to. Sam and I now share a room, because since my incident in the cemetery, I found I still needed him close in order to sleep. I only felt safe at night with his strong arms wrapped around me, ready to protect me if need be. Perhaps this made me weak. Well, I say to hell with that. A person has to do what's needed to survive.

So yes, to put it very simply and plainly, I am very happy with how my life is going. There's not a thing I'd change about it. Except maybe Dean's music. The good thing about that is I don't have to hear it very often. Now that I have my iPod, I can just listen to my own music, thank you very much.

Sometimes, though, I just like to bug him about it. Hey, I gotta get my kicks somewhere while stuck in the Impala for hours at a time. And it gives Dean someone new to argue with besides Sam. I know Sam appreciates the break. As long as I don't get too bratty or pushy with my comments and make Dean mad, Sam doesn't say anything about me picking on his brother's music. That makes me laugh. Quietly, of course.

Still jumping up and down on my 'trampoline', I smiled as I hummed along with Cyndi Lauper. Of course by this point, as I am sure you have guessed, I'd completely forgotten about listening for Sam. I'd also forgotten that I had promised not to jump on the bed. Still humming, I did a little twirl, which led me to face the other bed. Without much thought I hopped the distant between the two beds, landing smoothly on the new bed. Singing softly now, I did a few more twirls, and then for a moment I stood there facing the wall, lost in thought. Then I leapt back over to the bed I had started out on, and then right back on the other. I jumped up and down in place for a few minutes and turned back around to face the door of our motel room. The second I did I found myself eye level with a pair of wide, hazel colored eyes.

I let out a little shriek and stumbled back, but half a second later my brain caught up with me. Grinning from ear to ear, I launched myself at the tall man standing there. "Sam!" I cried out as he caught me. My legs automatically wrapped about his waist while my arms slid around his neck. I loved the fact that he could catch me like this so easily. Keeping one arm hooked around his neck, I turned the volume on my iPod down with my free hand. As soon as that was done I laid a good kiss on him, which he quickly returned.

"It's about time you got back," I told him as I gave a little pout. "Are you okay?" I asked. That was the first thing I always asked him.

"Yep, I'm good," he assured me. "How are you, baby?"

"Bored!" I answered instantly. "You've been gone way too long. It's so boring when you're gone!" I complained.

Sam rolled his eyes at me and grinned, showing off those heart fluttering dimples of his. "You didn't look too bored to me when I walked in. What're you listening to?" he asked before I could say anything. I opened my mouth to answer but he suddenly reached up and plucked the ear bud out of my right ear. He held it up to his ear, and I turned the volume back up a little. As soon as I did he rolled his eyes again.

"Oh come on," he said as he dropped the ear bud. "Cyndi Lauper? Seriously?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

I made a face at him. "Eden pretty much said the same thing. What's wrong with Cyndi Lauper?" I wanted to know.

Sam shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Though she is a little on the strange side," he said, his eyes twinkling.

I gave his shoulder a little pinch. "You're making fun of me," I complained. "It's not nice to stay out all day and then come back and make fun of me."

He laughed softly. "I'm not making fun of you," he said as he leaned down to drop a kiss on my neck.

The feel of his warm lips on such sensitive skin sent a tingling sensation all over my body. "You are too," I insisted, trying to keep track of our conversation.

"Am not," he whispered as he moved his lips up to meet mine. Any comment I might have made to that flew right out of my head then. Sam kissed me gently for what felt like several wonderful minutes. And then quite suddenly he pulled back a little. When our lips parted I looked up at him, pouting.

He flashed a smile at me. "Sorry, but we're gonna have to put the love on pause for a moment," he said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I have to do a little chewing out right now. Might as well get it over with."

I blinked, and my heart began to race. "What? Why?" I asked, almost in a whisper. Of course, I knew exactly why I was about to get chewed out. Crap. Before Sam could answer, I caught movement behind him, and I looked to see Eden was back at the door, peering in at us. Our eyes met and Eden bit down on her lip. She shook her head at me, and I could see the sad I told you so in her eyes.

"Eden," Sam suddenly said, making both of us jump. "Go back into your room. Dean should be right behind me," he added. "I ended up walking back here while he went to do something, but he should be back any minute. Go wait for him. And pull your door around," he added, turning slightly so he could see her better. "But don't close it all the way. Leave it open just a little."

Eden stared at him but didn't move. Just like it was hard for me to take orders from Dean, it was hard for Eden to take orders from Sam. Though she doesn't butt heads with Sam as much as I do with Dean, they still have tense moments whenever Sam gives her an order. Dean didn't require Eden to call Sam 'sir', just like Sam didn't require me to call Dean 'sir', but Dean did expect Eden to listen to Sam when he told her to do something. Just like, of course, Sam expected me to listen to Dean when he told me to do something. If an order is ignored, we get told on and then have to answer to our respective man. The end results are not fun.

I held onto Sam nervouly as he and Eden attempted to stare each other down. Eden lost, of course. Making a small but audible noise of frusteration, she turned sharply around and stomped back into the room she shared with Dean. She pushed the door around a little like Sam had told her to, and once that was done Sam turned away from the door and fixed me with a firm look.

"You were jumping on the beds when I walked in, Rivan," he told me in response to my question.

I flinched a little. Great. Why hadn't I just stopped jumping? Eden was right when she said I go off to la-la land and forget what I need to be doing. That was my fault, no one elses. Didn't mean I had to he bappy about it, though. For a moment I was quiet as Sam stared down at me, waiting. Finally I cleared my throat and spoke. The best I could come up with was pretty lame.

"I was being careful," I told him as I reached down with one hand to fiddle with his tie. He'd been playing the FBI role today and had worn one of his suits.

Sam let loose with a not so quiet sigh. "That's not the point, Rivan," he told me, his tone patient but still firm. "I caught you jumping on a bed three weeks ago," he continued. "What did I tell you when I caught you doing that?"

The sigh I let out then was about as quiet as Sam's had been. "Not to do it again," I muttered as I studied the diamond pattern on his tie.

"That's right," Sam said softly, almost gently. I glanced up at him at the sound of that tone. I've noticed lately that when I do get in trouble, Sam has more of a tendnacy to be gentle when speaking to me. He didn't yell much, and he always handled me softly and carefully. Even when he was mad. Though there were times when he didn't always speak softly to me, I could pretty much count on being handled in an almost loving manner. Even when he spanked me, he turned me around carefully, his hands soft and patient. Or that time when he actually pulled me over his lap, he did it gently.

Of course, all of this gentlness did not mean I was in for a light spanking. Sam was always good at getting my attention real fast, and leaving a lasting impression. Not abusive, but firm and precise, making no mistake in letting me know I had done wrong and it wasn't going to be tolerated.

"So," Sam continued, drawing me out of my thoughts. "Why did you do it after I told you not to?" he asked next, still patiently.

I looked up at him, opened my mouth, then closed it. Sam waited, his lips set in a firm line. "I don't know," I finally said. "But I was going to stop!" I added quickly when Sam's eyebrows shot up and he frowned at me. He hated the "I don't know" answer. Despite being more gentle nowadays, he had almost no patience for the "I don't know" response.

"Oh, really?" he asked, his tone a bit dry. "Then why didn't you stop?"

I bit down on my lower lip for a moment. "You want an honest answer?" I asked, my voice small.

"Always," he replied, his eyes meeting mine and holding them captive.

Well of course he wanted an honest answer. Why did I bother asking? I took a deep breath and stared up at him, wishing I could look away. "Because I forgot to," I told him in a near whisper.

Sam narrowed his eyes and gave me a weird look. "You didn't stop jumping because…you forgot to?" he asked, his tone suggesting he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around that one.

I shrugged a little. "Yeah," I said in a tinier voice.

"Rivan," he began, and paused. He sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "How do you forget to stop doing something you know you shouldn't be doing in the first place?"

"I…well…I…Eden and I were talking, and she said I should stop because she didn't want me to get in trouble, and I promised her I would stop, but then I started to listen to my music again and my mind wandered and I meant to stop but then you walked in and I…just forgot." I ended my rambling lamely. I took another deep breath, a slightly shuddering deep breath actually, and looked up at Sam.

"That's not a good reason," Sam told me as he studied me. "You know that, Rivan," he added with a shake of his head.

"I know," I replied, swallowing hard.

"It wouldn't have been as bad if you had just been jumping on one bed," he said. "But you were jumping back and forth, from one bed to the other. Seriously, Rivan. You know better. I mean, that's what little kids do. How old are you, five?"

I actually snorted. "Well, I should hope not," I replied. "Otherwise, we'd be very illegal," I added. Okay, don't ask me why I just popped that one out there. Especially at a time like this. I guess sometimes I have this sassy side that just loves to show off at the worst possible time. Either that, or I'm just really stupid. You decide.

Apparently Sam decided I was just being plain sassy. I watched as his jaw clentched, and my eyes went wide when the muscle in his jaw twitched a little. When that happened, I knew I was in danger of stepping in it way over my head.

Some of the patience and gentleness vanished from Sam's eyes, and his demeanor. "That is not funny, Rivan," he told me quietly, despite the fact that he was a bit more mad now than he was seconds ago.

"Oh, come on," I bravely pushed on. "It's a little funny."

"No," Sam said, his tone sharp now. Sharp enough to make me jump a bit. "It's not funny, Rivan. Not even a little bit."

Well, crap. "Okay, fine," I said softly. "So it's not funny. I'm sorry," I added in a small voice.

That seemed to relax him some. "Good," he said, his tone somewhat mild now. "Back to our conversation. So, you were jumping back and forth on the beds, and you were moving way too fast by the way, just like a child would. I don't know how many times you've told me that you are not a child." He fell silent for a moment, staring at me and making me squirm. "Have you changed your mind about that?" he asked me. "Have you decided to throw caution to the wind and act like the child you're supposedly not?"

Okay, he was getting madder by the second. I could sense it. His tone had changed again, as had the look in his eyes. The hazel color had darkened, just like it always did when he got mad. I suddenly got a terrible urge to start cussing. Mainly at myself. But I stuck with answering his question in a more simple way.

"No," I told him. "But—"

"No buts," Sam interrupted me, gently pressing a finger against my lips. "You could have slipped and hit your head on one of those nightstands," he added, nodding at the two nightstands that were between the beds.

I sighed loudly and let out a small whimper. "I know," I moaned. "But I didn't!"

Sam frowned at me. "Okay, wait a minute. You knew you could have hurt yourself, but you did it anyway?" he asked, and his voice went up another notch on the stern and angry tone.

I swallowed hard. Geez, how was I supposed to get out of this one? I'd just gone and made it from bad to worse. "I was bored," I stupidly told him. Oh yeah, that would make it so much better.

Sam's frown intensified. "You have an iPod, a laptop, books, and the TV to watch. You have plenty to keep yourself entertained. You don't need to jump on beds for entertainment. Especially since there's a good chance that you can get hurt," he added, his tone sharper now.

Suddenly my eyes began to sting. "Sam…I'm sorry," I said in a tiny voice. "I just…I guess I've gotten used to going to malls and walking around, getting rid of my energy, but we didn't get to this time." The money had been low and Sam and Dean hadn't had any extra to give us. "I haven't done anything but lay around all day, and it was driving me crazy," I explained as a tear escaped and slid down my cheek.

Sam sighed at the sight of that tear before leaning in and kissing it away. "I understand that," he said, and thank the Lord his tone was softer this time. "But that doesn't mean you can jump on the beds. Or jump from one bed to the other. Like I said, you could have easily slipped and cracked your head open on one of those nightstands. Even if you had hit the floor you could have done that. You know how hard motel floors are. It was a stupid stunt that could have gotten you seriously injured. The fact that you knew you could get hurt but did it anyway makes it worse, Rivan. That's called deliberately putting yourself in danger, you know," he added quietly.

I froze and stared at him in horror. Oh, crap, crap, crap, crap! I well remembered the punishment Sam promised me if I ever knowingly put myself in danger again. And of course I knew he had that terrible Hell Brush from the Maine house. He kept it in his bag all the time. Why hadn't I thought about all of this before now?

I continued to stare at him as more tears began to spill over. "Sam, please," I begged, my voice still small. "I'm sorry I did it. Please don't spank me. Please!" I moaned as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and whimpered a little. Surely he wouldn't spank me with the Hell Brush just because I jumped on the beds! I mean, sure, I know he told me not to, but still!

Much to my surprise, and relief, Sam gave me a squeeze and then dropped a kiss on my head. "Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't?" he asked me. "I told you not to jump on anymore beds, but you did anyway. You did it knowing you weren't supposed to, and you did it knowing you may get hurt. You already admitted that." I moaned again, louder this time, and then started to cry quietly.

Sam took a deep breath and then began to rub my back in that wonderful, tender way of his. "Rivan," he said quietly. I moaned in response. "I don't like to spank you," he told me. "You know that. But sometimes you leave me no choice, baby. I gave you a very simple order when I caught you jumping on that bed the first time. Don't do it again. I know you understood me," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "You made that clear. So why did you go and do it again?" he asked me, sounding frustrated and disappointed.

Of course I couldn't respond. All I could do was cry. I shook my head and pressed my face against his best FBI jacket, drenching it with tears. At that point I got my voice back, but I could only think to say one thing. "Please don't spank me!" I begged again, my voice a small wail this time.

Sam sighed. "You can't give me a good reason why I shouldn't spank you?" he asked me softly. "And I'm sorry, but because you don't want me to is not a good reason," he added. I shook my head again but didn't answer. He just took away the only reason I could give him. For a moment Sam just stood there and held me, gently swaying me back and forth while he rubbed my back. He gave me another gentle squeeze, and then suddenly I felt him tugging on the iPod I'd slipped in the right back pocket of my jeans.

Confused, I pulled away quickly and looked up at him, my tears still streaming down my face. "What are you doing?" I asked him, my voice wobbly.

Sam didn't answer until he had the iPod all the way out. Once that was done, he pulled the other ear bud out of my left ear and then held the iPod up. "This is mine for a week," he told me firmly, his face set in those stern lines that so annoyingly made him look more handsome somehow.

My mouth dropped open. "What? You're taking my iPod away from me for a whole week just because I jumped on the beds?"

Sam pressed his lips together and gave me a look that clearly said You have got to be kidding me. "No, I'm taking your iPod away for a whole week because you did something that I told you not to do again. Something that could have easily caused you to get seriously hurt," he added, and his tone was much harder now. "I'm being very nice by not spanking you for that, Rivan. If you object to this punishment I can always change my mind and spank you," he added darkly.

I know my eyes went as round as saucers at that. "No, don't!" I wailed as I wrapped my arms around his neck again, hiding my face.

"Okay, then," Sam said, his tone a little softer this time. "So no iPod for a week," he said as he began to rub my back again. "If you bug me about giving it back to you before the week is out, I'll tack on another week, and give you a spanking on top of it. Is that understood?"

I sniffled. "Yes, sir," I moaned. Geez, this sucked! I loved my iPod. So unfair.

"Good," Sam murmured as he continued to run his hand up and down my back. "Look at me, Rivan," he ordered softly. I made a face against his neck but pulled back so I could look at him. He stared down at me, his eyes stern. "No more jumping on beds. Ever. It's nuts, Rivan. There's no reason for it. I shouldn't have to say that to my girlfriend." We stared at each other for a moment. "If I ever catch you doing it again, I won't hesitate. I will spank you. Do you understand me?"

Ugh. "Yes, sir," I said again with a sigh. "I won't do it again. I promise."

Sam nodded. "Good. I'm not talking about the hair brush this time," he added, and I looked up at him in surprise. "But if you cross me on this again, I will take my belt off. Understand?"

I bit down on my lower lip for a moment. In my book, Sam's belt was as bad as the hair brush. "Yes, sir," I said again as I gave his tie a nervous tug.

"That's my good girl," he said gently as he pulled his tie out of my hand. When he was done with that, I watched with sad eyes as he tucked my iPod into his pants pocket.

I was so despondent over it, I actually decided to push my luck a little. "So I really don't get possible early parole for good behavior?" I asked him as I stared up at him.

"Have you ever?" he wanted to know, those darn eyebrows up again.

"Well, sometimes," I said. "But not very often," I had to admit.

Sam nodded. "Exactly. I think I gave you, as you call it, early parole due to good behavior once. And that was several months ago. So no, no early parole. No matter how well you behave." I let out a loud groan of disappointment and frustration, and Sam gave me a gentle kiss before leaning down and carefully depositing me onto the bed.

"But Sam, that means I have to listen to Dean's music for an entire week!" I pointed out, trying not to sound too whiny. "You know I don't like his music."

"I know," Sam replied as he slipped his jacket off. He began to roll up his sleeves, and I watched him.

I gritted my teeth at his response. "And you know how awful his music can be most of the time," I continued, praying I wasn't pushing my luck too much. "His music gives me a headache," I added, sounding rather desperate. "Please Sam, can't you take something else away?"

"Like what?" he asked as he finished rolling up his left sleeve and starting on his right. "Your ability to sit down?" Without pausing in what he was doing, he looked over at me, his eyes sharp and full of warning.

Instantly I cringed away from him. "No!" I said quickly, the desperation in my voice going up about twenty notches.

"Then stop whining and trying to get me to change my mind," Sam growled at me. "You don't get to pick your punishments, Rivan. That's my job. Your punishment for acting like a little kid and jumping all over the beds is no iPod for a week. Deal with it, or it'll be two weeks, along with a sore butt. Just like I said before. I don't like repeating myself, Rivan. Don't make me do it again. Do you understand me?"

My shoulders slumped and I crossed my arms over my chest. "Yes, sir," I muttered as I glared down at the ugly motel floor.

"Good," Sam said, his tone still heated. "I'm so glad we see eye to eye on this."

I didn't give him any response to that, which was probably a good idea. Instead I just sat there on the bed, giving the carpeting dirty looks and feeling sorry for myself, as well as cursing at myself for jumping on the beds to begin with. Ugh.

While I sat there quietly Sam moved around, packing his things up. It was still kind of early in the afternoon and we planned on checking out soon. Then we'd get something to eat and get on the road again. Thinking about that reminded me that I wouldn't have my iPod, and all I could do was pray that Dean wouldn't play any of his bad music. Some of the songs he played I didn't mind listening to, but for the most part I just couldn't stand it. Sam had learned long ago to tune it out, though I have to say that he did at least ask Dean to turn the crap down. At least that was on my side.

But that didn't make me feel any better. So I just sat there pouting while Sam finished packing his stuff. Once he was done and had taken another look around, he turned and headed toward me. I didn't look up as he approached me, and I still didn't look at him when he sat down next to me. We were both quiet for a few moments, and then Sam nudged me.

"So I guess you're mad at me now, huh?" he asked me.

I didn't say anything for a moment. Then I sighed. "If I say yes, will you give me my iPod back?" I asked him, keeping my eyes on the floor.

He laughed, and despite my annoyance the sound relaxed me. But his next words didn't. "Nope!" he said, his tone almost cheerful. "Not a chance," he added as he patted my leg.

"Well you don't have to sound so happy about it!" I half wailed as I turned and looked up at him.

"I'm not happy about it, Rivan. It's just amusing how stubborn you can be sometimes," he said as he reached up and carefully tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I know you're upset, but what exactly did you think would happen if I caught you jumping on beds again?"

I made a face and picked at a thread on the comforter beneath me. "I don't know," I moaned. "Eden did it not too long ago and Dean caught her doing it," I reminded him. "He just let her off with a warning. I guess I was hoping you'd do the same with me," I told him.

"Rivan!" Sam groaned at me. "I let you off with a warning the first time I caught you doing it. You know I only give you one warning. If you're insane enough to ignore me and do whatever you did again, you know there's no second chances. You get caught, you get punished. It's as simple as that. Nothing's changed, baby. I've made that clear on more than one occasion. And plus, you know you didn't help yourself at all when you admitted that you knew what you were doing was potentially dangerous, but went ahead and did it anyway."

I let out an even louder groan and closed my eyes. Curse my stupid mouth! Moaning, I crossed my arms over my chest and whimpered. "I have a big mouth," I grumbled.

Sam laughed softly. "Sometimes," he agreed, and I made a face. "But seriously, Rivan. What did you really think would happen if I caught you jumping on the beds like that?"

I shrugged while I pouted. "I thought you would just chew me out," I told him.

Sam snorted. "Come on, Rivan. Did you really think I'd let you off that easy?" Sam asked me quietly.

I shrugged again. "Yes. No. I don't know. I guess I just didn't think it all the way through," I admitted.

"See, there's your problem right there," Sam pointed out. "You never think. You just do. If you would just pause and think about your actions before you carried them out, things would work out better for you. If you stopped and considered the consequences of your actions, you wouldn't get in trouble as much. But you don't ever think, baby," he said as he put his arm around me. Groaning, I rested my head on his shoulder. "You've been doing pretty good on working to change that habit, but you need to keep at it. I think this is your biggest slip up since Maine. It wasn't the worst thing you could have done. Not by far. And that's very good. It's progress. But you still shouldn't have done it."

He gave me a gentle squeeze, and I sniffled. "I'm sorry," I told him in a small voice.

"I know," he said, his voice soft and patient. "Just don't do it again. Okay?" I nodded as I sighed loudly. "Good," Sam said as he gave me another squeeze. "Let's not talk about it anymore." Before I could say anything, he glanced at his watch. "Dean should be back by now," he said, the frown in his voice obvious. "I wish he'd get back here so we can—"

The sound of the motel door opening in the next room cut Sam off, and we both turned toward the door that connected us to Dean and Eden's room. "Dean!" we heard Eden cry out happily. I heard the sound of her running toward him, and I could tell that she'd thrown herself in his arms.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her gently. "How's my girl?"

"Fine," she said, the adoration in her voice obvious. "Are you okay?" She always asked him that whenever he got back from a job. Just like I always asked Sam the same thing.

"Sure," Dean told her, and I could tell he was grinning at her. "Aren't I always?"

Eden snorted softly. "No," she replied firmly.

"Ah, of course I am. You just worry too much." Before she could reply to that I heard the sound of a kiss being given, and Eden giggled. For a moment all we could hear was the sound of kissing, and then Dean spoke again. "Sam get back yet?" he asked Eden.

"Yeah, I'm here, Dean," Sam answered for Eden. Moments later Dean appeared in the doorway with Eden next to him. She leaned around him and stared at me intently, and I gave her a small smile to let her know everything was okay. Pretty much, anyway. She relaxed and smiled back.

Dean was talking again, and I focused on him. "Good," he was saying to Sam. "You been waitin' long?" he asked his brother.

"Not really," Sam told him as he pulled me a little closer. "I'm all packed and ready to go, if you and Eden are ready," he added.

"Yeah, okay," Dean said. "Just give me a few minutes. Your brat ready to go too?" he asked as he turned away.

I stiffened. "I have a name, you know!" I snapped at him.

"Yeah, I know," Dean replied, sounding very unconcerned. He disappeared into the room, and Eden followed him.

"Dean!" she exclaimed loudly.

"What?" he asked, now sounding way too innocent.

"You know what!" she insisted.

"Yeah, you're right," he said with an over done sigh. "I do. But, I don't care." Eden let out a little frustrated groan at that, and I could hear them talking back and forth as they got their stuff together.

I made a face and dropped my head back on Sam's shoulder. "And he calls me a brat," I grumbled. Sam laughed at me before pulling me onto his lap. He held me while Dean finished with his last minute packing, and while we waited Sam dropped a kiss on my neck every now and then, and often followed that with a sweet kiss on the lips. By the time Dean was finally ready to go, I was in a pretty good mood, despite the fact that I'd lost my iPod for a whole week.

When we stopped off at a little café down the road I was still pretty relaxed, at least until we all were seated in a small booth. Sam and I sat on one side, while Dean and Eden took the other side. I frowned down at the menu the waitress, a tired looking woman named Maggie, had given me.

My eating habits still weren't the best, even after all this time. Sam had called it right when he said that would be the hardest thing for me to get over. To this day I still couldn't explain it. I just wasn't very interested in food. I still only ate about half my meals, only because Sam made me. I made a face as my eyes scanned the menu. Nothing really sounded good. Ugh.

The waitress came back and took our order for drinks, and when she left again Sam and Dean began talking about the job they had just completed. I grew more nervous as the minutes ticked by. I had no idea what to order because I didn't want anything. I shifted in my seat as I studied the list of sandwiches. Ham and cheese. Yuck. Turkey and cheese. No way. I had vowed never to eat another one of those. Grilled cheese. No. Bologna and cheese. Oh come on. Seriously? Give me a break. My eyes traveled further down the list. Roast beef on a toasted bun. Hmm. Maybe. On second thought, no. Geez.

Suddenly the waitress was back with our drinks. After handing them out to us she pulled her pad out, ready to take our orders.

"Can I have a few more minutes, please?" I spoke up quickly.

Maggie smiled at me. "Sure thing, hon," she said, and with that she was gone.

I kept my eyes on my menu once she was gone, and Sam and Dean went back to talking. Several more minutes passed, and then Sam and Dean paused in their conversation. Quickly I leaned over toward Sam. "Sam?" I nearly whispered.

He leaned closer toward me, slipping his arm around my shoulders. "Rivan," he half whispered back, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

I made a face at him and slapped lightly at his arm. "Don't make fun of me," I told him with a pout. "I want to ask you something."

He grinned at me and gave me a quick kiss. "Yes, you have to eat," he told me as he watched me.

I let out a little groan. "That's not what I was going to ask!" I told him, though the question had crossed my mind. Stupid me.

He laughed softly. "Okay," he relented. "What were you going to ask, then?"

"Can I just order some soup?" I asked him as I eyed the soup list. There wasn't much on it, but I didn't care.

"Sure," Sam told me, and I blinked at him. I hadn't expected it to be that easy. "As long as you order at least half of a sandwich to go with it," he added firmly.

I felt my shoulders droop with disappointment. "But none of the sandwiches sound good," I told him, keeping my tone soft and as whine free as I could get it.

Sam sighed as he leaned over and looked at my menu. "What about a hamburger, then?" he suggested. "You can eat at least half of that, can't you?"

"Yeah, do that," Dean suddenly spoke up, and Sam and I looked over at him. "That way I can eat the other half later on down the road."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Pig," I muttered. Across from me, Eden choked on her Sprite.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Dean asked, a little too loudly. Several other diners glanced our way, curious looks on their faces.

"I said, I don't think it's big enough for that," I quickly answered, well aware of the frown Sam was giving me. "Look, it shows a picture of the hamburger. See? It doesn't look very big."

Sam glanced at it. "Then you should be able to eat it all," he said in that reasonable tone of his.

I opened my mouth to voice a complaint, but Dean cut me off. "Hey, make it a bacon cheeseburger," he told me, obviously still dreaming of a snack for later.

"Aren't you going to order a bacon cheeseburger?" I asked him with another roll of my eyes.

Dean shrugged. "Sure. But I wouldn't say no to another for later."

"Of course you wouldn't," I muttered. "But that's just too bad. I'm not ordering a bacon cheeseburger. I don't like them," I added, just to annoy him.

For a moment he just sat there and stared at me. "How could you not like bacon cheeseburgers?" he finally demanded. "What planet are you from?"

"The planet of clog free arteries," I informed him smoothly. Sam laughed.

Dean shot him a look. "Leave it to you to find a woman who doesn't like bacon cheeseburgers," he growled at his brother. "At least I got a girl that knows what's good," he said as he put an arm around Eden and pulled her close.

"Of course," Eden replied calmly. "And I know bacon cheeseburgers are not good. Rivan, you can order a chef salad," she continued as Dean sat there, sputtering at her. "I think that's what I'm going to have. It's not heavy like a hamburger, and judging by the picture, it doesn't look too big," she added as she studied the menu. She ignored Dean, who was still trying to recover from shock. "Why don't you try it?" she asked me as she looked up at me. Grinning, she winked at me. I knew for a fact that she liked bacon cheeseburgers. She'd just said that to blow Dean's mind while sticking up for me.

I giggled and then looked at Sam. "Is that okay?" I asked hopefully.

Sam sighed as he looked at his menu. "Just a salad?" he asked, not sounding very happy about it.

"Yes," I said softly, waiting. "It's a dinner salad. So it's bigger. A lot of times that's all you eat," I reminded him carefully when he remained silent.

"That's a little different, baby," he told me. Across from him, Dean leaned back in the booth, looking at Eden in a funny way. She looked over at him and smiled sweetly. He grunted and shook his head, picking up his glass of coke as he did. "I'm not having a problem with eating," Sam continued, ignoring his brother. I said nothing, just waited. Finally Sam sighed. "Alright," he said, giving in. "But you better eat more than half," he added quickly. "If that's all you're going to have, you need to try to eat all of it," he told me.

"How about just a little over half?" I suggested.

Sam frowned at me, the warning clear in his eyes. "Rivan," he said, his tone going dark.

"Okay, okay," I squeaked. "I'll eat as much of it as I can." Considering the conversation we'd had at the motel, I knew better than to be too bratty about this.

"Good," Sam said as he went back to his own menu. "You better."

Not long after that the waitress came to take our orders, and while we waited for our food Dean griped about Eden not liking bacon cheeseburgers until Eden burst out laughing. "I do like them, Dean," she told him as she grinned at him.

He blinked. "Then why did you say you didn't?" he asked, his tone indignant.

Eden shrugged. "Just to annoy you," she said calmly. Smiling, she picked her glass up and took a dainty sip of her sprite. "Anyway, why is it so important to you that I like them?" she asked as she placed her glass back on the table.

"Because I like to know that I got a woman that knows what's good in life," Dean told her, still looking a little miffed.

Eden rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I know what's good in life."

Dean grinned. "Well yeah, I guess you do. I mean, you did fall in love with me. Ow! What'd you pinch me for?" he demanded, and I hid my face against Sam's shoulder to cover my giggles.

Eden smiled up at him ever so sweetly. "Because I can," she answered simply.

"Yeah well, you know what I'm gonna do to you just because I can?" he asked her in a low voice as he leaned closer to her.

She winked at him. "Do tell," she said, her voice almost a purr. Sam and I sat there watching, almost mesmerized.

Dean snorted. "And spoil the surprise? I don't think so, sweetheart." Eden laughed, but suddenly Dean leaned over and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said caused Eden's face to turn a bright, beaming red. She stared up at him, her eyes wide. Looking rather satisfied with himself, Dean leaned back in the booth again, a rather smug look on his face. Then I heard a soft thump under the table and he grunted ever so slightly.

Now looking cocky, Dean picked up his own glass. "You just remember who kicked who when I've got you alone in a motel room tonight, sweetheart," he told her before taking a gulp of his coke.

Though I didn't think it was possible, Eden's blush grew deeper, and she squirmed a little. For a moment I thought Dean might mean she was going to get a spanking, but when she looked up at me she had a pleased, if not a little embarrassed, smile on her face. For a moment I just stared at her, and then I grinned widely. Eden huffed and studied the table top, but her smile remained.

At that moment the waitress brought our food, and I could tell it was much to Eden's great relief, and we began to eat. Sam and Dean returned to their previous conversation, and Eden and I chatted about the last mall we had been too, and talked about the ones we hoped to see. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their food, and I did have to admit that my salad was good. But I still wasn't as into it as I should have been, though I ate as much as I could. But all too soon I was poking at what remained on my plate while everyone else was finishing up.

Trying to appear casual, I looked at Sam out of the corner of my right eye. His attention seemed entirely focused on Dean and what he was saying. I looked back at my salad and forced myself to take a few more bites. Even after doing that, I was disheartened to see that I hadn't eaten half of it yet. And I didn't want anymore. Ugh.

I sat there quietly, shoving the greens around my plate a bit. Eden had finished her salad and was trying hard not to watch. Only because she didn't want to draw Sam's attention to me, I knew. I waited a few more minutes, and then I began to push the plate away from me, just a little.

Suddenly Dean's cell phone went off. "Who's that?" Sam asked him. As he spoke he reached over, got my plate, and pulled it back until it was right in front of me again. I looked up at him, my eyes wide. He raised one eyebrow at me, and then looked back at Dean.

"It's Bobby," he said, and answered it. "Hey Bobby," he greeted the older man. "What's up?" He fell silent as he listened, and Sam watched him. With Sam's eyes no longer on me, I pushed my plate away from me once more.

Meanwhile, Dean was frowning at whatever Bobby was saying. "Really? You're tellin' me he can't handle something that simple on his own? I thought he was a hunter."

Dean fell silent again, and I took a risk and gave my plate another push. Suddenly it was right back in front of me. "Rivan," Sam said quietly as he put his arm around me again. "You need to eat a little bit more. You've got more than half left."

"But I don't want anymore," I told him softly.

Sam was quiet for a moment, and then he reached up and stroked my hair. "Why not?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I just don't," I said.

"Not a good answer. Eat, Rivan," he ordered me.

I groaned just a little. "But I don't want anymore," I said again, and this time my voice had a definite whine to it.

Sam sighed deeply and pulled me closer. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Do you want to stand in the corner when we stop tonight?" he asked me very quietly.

I went still. "No, sir," I replied in a tiny voice.

"Good. Do you want a spanking when we stop tonight?" he asked next.

I let out a little huff. "No, sir!"

"Then you need to eat a little more of that salad," Sam told me firmly. I let out another huff but didn't move. "How about another week without your iPod?" Sam asked. "Along with the promised corner time and spanking?" he added.

I gritted my teeth. Gah! Oh! What an irritating, stubborn man! I let out one more huff, this one much louder, and then grabbed my fork. Not caring how it looked, I loaded the fork with greens and then shoved it in my mouth, chewing hard as I glared down at my plate. I could feel Eden's eyes on me, and I knew she gazed at me with a look of pity.

While I was still chewing Dean suddenly got up, the cell phone still pressed against his ear. "I'll be right back," he muttered to Sam. "Eden," he said, holding a hand out to her.

She stared up at him. "I want to stay here," she said.

I watched as Dean's eyes hardened. He pressed his lips together before beckoning to Eden. "Now," he told her in a low, sharp voice. Eden didn't push it. Pouting, she slid out of the booth and took his hand.

Dean glanced at Sam. "Be right back," he said again before turning away.

Sam frowned. "Okay," he said, sounding curious. He watched his brother and Eden leave the restaurant, and then he turned his attention back to me. I shoveled another bite of salad in my mouth, barely tasting the food. Sam sighed and leaned down again. "If you can manage to stop being a brat and eat normally, I'll reward you tonight instead of punishing you," he whispered into my ear. "Wouldn't that be a nice change?"

I went still again and thought a moment. "Can I have my iPod back?" I asked hopefully.

"No," Sam said, his tone surprisingly gentle. "That's punishment for doing something dumb that could have gotten you hurt. There's no going back on that."

I made a face. Should have known. "So what kind of reward are we talking about?" I asked him as I used my fork to poke at a rather large piece of lettuce.

Sam chuckled, the sound low and husky. "What kind of reward do you want?" he asked me, still whispering.

For a moment I just sat there, now dragging my fork through my salad. "I don't know," I finally told Sam, just to see what he'd say.

He laughed again, softly, and the sound sent delicious shivers down my spine. "Well then, I'll just have to use my imagination," he replied, and rested his hand on my thigh. Keeping his fingers still, he began to rub slow circles with his thumb. I could feel the slight pressure through my jeans, and I smiled.

"Fine then," I said, and went back to my salad, eating slowly now and not with the fuel of anger.

Sam laughed and dropped a kiss on my temple. "That was easy," he said as he picked up his glass and drained the last of his water.

"Don't get used to it," I said with a smirk.

He snorted and put his glass down. "Wouldn't dream of it," he told me as he dropped his arm from around my shoulders. He took his right hand off my thigh but put his left hand in its place, and gave my leg a squeeze. I rolled my eyes and went back to my salad.

Minutes later Dean returned, Eden following behind him, her hand in Dean's. Eden slid into the booth quickly and Dean followed. Eden gave me a questioning look, and I just smiled at her. She relaxed and looked over at Dean as he snapped his phone shut.

"So what did Bobby want?" Sam asked him.

"Well, he's got a job for us," he told Sam as he shoved his phone into his pocket.

Sam frowned. "Always one after another," he said with a sigh. "So where's it at?" he asked before Dean could say anything to that.

"Mississippi," Dean answered. "Vicksburg," he added.

Sam perked up a little. "Oh yeah? Well, that's not much of a surprise, really. They've got that Civil War military park there. There's always some kind of haunting being reported in that area. And then they've got a few of those old houses that survived the Civil War. The place is practically ghost central. I'm surprised we never had a job there before now."

"Well, we got one now," Dean said with a sigh.

Sam nodded. "Okay. So what's the deal on it?" Interested myself now, I put my fork down and waited. Sam didn't seem to notice that I'd stopped eating.

"You remember the guy that let us use that house in Maine?" Dean asked. Eden shifted around until she was looking at Dean, just as interested as I was.

"Sure," Sam told him.

"Remember Bobby said he was a hunter once upon a time, and that Bobby saved his ass about five years ago from a spook?" Sam nodded, waiting. "You remember Bobby saying that guy had a son?" Sam nodded again. "Well apparently Junior needs a little help getting rid of a big bad ghost," Dean said, smirking.

Sam stared at him. "Why can't his father take care of it?" he asked. "I mean, I don't mind helping, but if his dad used to be a hunter, he should be able to handle that."

"I'm sure he could," Dean said with a shrug. "Only thing is, dear daddy is off on a trip somewhere in Europe. He left the ghost business to his kid."

Sam shook his head. "Okay," he said slowly, frowning. "So obviously Pops didn't teach the guy anything about hunting."

"Nope," Dean said, almost sneering. "Not enough, anyway. Guy's freaking out, doesn't know what to do. He called Bobby and asked him to get in touch with us. Says he needs us to come soon, before the old man gets back."

Sam rolled his eyes. "So what's the problem exactly?"

"Bobby said the guy told him there's a ghost running wild in that park you mentioned. The military park."

"Has it hurt anyone?" Sam wanted to know.

"No, not yet, but it's doing a hell of a job at scarin' away all the tourist. Even during the day," Dean said with a snort.

Sam was quiet for a moment. "So it's a ghost of one of the soldiers," he said.

"Nah, it's the ghost of Lee's dog," Dean growled. "Of course it's a solider!"

Sam frowned at him, and so did I. "Don't be an ass, Dean," he told his brother with a frown.

"He can't help it," Eden suddenly spoke up.

Dean looked at her sharply, and she bit down on her lip. "Watch it, sweetheart," he warned her. Eden wrinkled her nose at him ever so slightly before looking away, and I quickly hid a grin.

For a moment everyone was quiet, and then Sam cleared his throat. "Okay, but I find it hard to believe that this guy, what's his name?"

Dean blinked. "Uh…Thomas," he said. "I think. Yeah, it's Thomas. Thomas Nichols."

"Okay then, I find it hard to believe that Thomas didn't pick anything up from his dad as far as hunting goes. I mean, come on. He's got to know the basics. Finding the body, salting and burning the bones. Please tell me he's tried that."

Dean scratched his head. "Well, Bobby said he did, but apparently that didn't work."

"So then there's something else keeping the ghost here. Something that belonged to him. A lock of hair, a blood stain, something."

"Gee, you think, genius?" Dean asked with a roll of his eyes.

Anger rose up in me like boiling lava, and I sat up, glaring at Dean. My mouth flew open, but Sam suddenly grabbed my hand. "Rivan," he said, the warning clear. Huffing, I sat back in my seat, giving Dean dirty looks. Dean grinned at me and winked. I have never wanted to spear someone with a fork more than I did at that moment.

"Okay," Sam said, looking back at his brother. "So there's something keeping the ghost here. Did you ask Bobby if Thomas tried to find out what it is?"

"Of course I did," Dean grumbled. "According to Bobby, the guy thinks that whatever it is, it's in a mausoleum, which is in a cemetery on Thomas' property. The guy wasn't in the mausoleum, but he was buried close to it. Bobby said Thomas told him that the mausoleum has the dead guy's parents in it."

Sam stared. "So this ghost is haunting the military park, but he's buried in Thomas' backyard."

"Yep," Dean replied.

Sam nodded. "Is Thomas absolutely sure there's something in the mausoleum that's keeping this ghost here?"

Dean frowned. "Well, Bobby said he didn't sound one hundred percent certain," he admitted.

Sam nodded again. "So there could easily be a different reason why he's hanging around. Obviously this guy died somewhere in the park, or the battle field as it was back then, so maybe that's keeping him tied to the park for some reason. I can just imagine how violent his death must have been, so that could be something that's keeping him around. Could be a good enough reason to make his soul restless. That's one option we're looking at here. Then we have the mausoleum idea. We can't rule that out all together right now because we don't have enough information." Sam was quiet for a few moments. "Is Thomas related to this ghost? Is it an ancestor?"

Dean shook his head. "Nope. Apparently this ghost, whoever he is, was friends with Thomas' family around that time, and somehow he ended up buried on their property. His parents, too. Not sure how that happened."

Sam thought for a moment. "Well, the Union soldiers could have confiscated his own family lands by that point. Or, the man's family could have lived outside the Union barricade. If that was the case, then they couldn't get the body through to bury him and may have decided to bury him on the property of another Southern family that they were close to," Sam suggested with shrug.

Dean blinked. I think Sam's answer surprised him, and I'm not sure why. "Yeah, those are good points," he said. "Guess it doesn't really matter how he got buried on Thomas' property, though. Our problem is figuring out why he's still here."

Sam sighed. "So did Thomas try to get into the mausoleum and find whatever's in there and burn it to get rid of the ghost?" he asked, sounding a bit tired.

"Nope," Dean said calmly.

Sam narrowed his eyes a bit. "Why not?"

Dean grinned at him. "Because he can't get it open."

Sam frowned. "He can't get the mausoleum open?"

"Nope. Bobby said he tried everything. Thomas thinks it's locked with some kind of magic. That's why he wants us to come. He's hopin' we can figure out what's up and get the thing cracked. He wants us to come as soon as possible. He can't ask his old man for help because the old man expects junior to figure it out on his own. Well, junior can't, so that's where we come in."

Sam sighed deeply. "Okay," he said as he ran a hand over his eyes. "Alright, fine. Let's go to Vicksburg, then."

Dean smiled. "Sounds good to me. You girls ready?" he asked me and Eden.

"I'm ready," Eden said just as she was finishing her sprite.

"Me too," I added. I looked over at Sam, who was eyeing my plate. "I ate enough, didn't I?" I asked him, my tone pleading.

"Yeah, you ate enough," he assured me. "Come on, let's get going. We need to fuel up before we start for Mississippi."

"How far are we from Vicksburg?" I asked Sam as Dean pulled his wallet out to pay the bill. Minutes later we were back out in the sunshine, heading toward the Impala.

"A good six hours, at least," Sam told me as he reached the passenger door. He unlocked it and then unlocked my door for me. Always the gentleman, he opened the door for me, and I slid in. Dean did the same for Eden. "I know we're gonna have to stop for the night and drive into Vicksburg tomorrow," he added. He closed my door before I could say anything.

By the time he got into the car I had my seatbelt on, as did Eden. "That's just great. A long trip," I grumbled. Nobody heard me, and I sighed as Dean started up the Impala and guided us out of the restaurant's parking lot. Right next door was a gas station, and he pulled into it. Fifteen minutes later we pulled out with a full tank of gas, and Dean was heading toward the Interstate. As he maneuvered his way onto it I thought again about the long drive ahead, and then my mind went to my iPod. I hated not having it. Maybe I should have taken the spanking instead. I frowned at that thought. No, being able to sit comfortably during a long drive was better than listening to music.

At that moment Dean turned his music on and cranked up the volume. Okay, maybe sitting comfortably was not worth it. "Oh Dean, do we have to listen to that right now?" I complained as the Impala picked up speed. "Can't we just talk or something?"

"Sorry, honey," he said, and I could tell by his tone he wasn't at all sorry. "You know how it goes. Driver picks the music. Everyone else shuts their cake holes."

My temper shot up at that. "I do not have a cake hole!" I snapped at him.

"Rivan," Sam said with a sigh.

"Well I don't!" I insisted. "I have a mouth."

"Yeah, we all know that," Dean said with a snort.

"Well I'm surprised you do, since your mouth is the loudest and drowns out what everyone else is saying!"

Sam turned around at that to spear me with a sharp look. "That's enough," he warned.

"But Sam, he's being a—"

"Jerk," Eden put in for me. "Really Dean, you don't have to be so rude. I mean, do you think my mouth is nothing but a cake hole?" she asked him.

"Of course not. Your mouth is a treasure trove. But I wasn't talkin' about your mouth."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you said everyone shuts their cake holes."

Dean laughed. "Don't worry, sweetheart," he told her, his voice silky smooth. "I'm gonna correct you, alright."

Eden's mouth dropped open. "That's not fair!" she whined. "You are such a—"

"Easy, sweetheart," Dean told her with a little laugh. "Save the feisty for the bedroom tonight. Remember I've got a surprise for you," he added, and now his tone was positively wicked.

I watched as Eden's eyes went wide before her face turned red again. Completely speechless, she leaned back in her seat and looked out her window, but not before I caught the pleased smile on her face. I relaxed a little and leaned back too. Sighing, I glanced out my window and watched the scenery flash by.

"Hey," Sam suddenly said.

I looked away from my window to find him studying me. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. "What?" I asked.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"Of course," I told him. "I'm with you." I heard Dean snort at that, but I ignored him.

Sam did too. His smile turned gentle and tender, and the look in his eyes told me that all the love I would ever need was right there inside him. "Then that means I'm okay too," Sam told me.

"Then I'd say we're set for life," I replied softly.

He grinned. "Always," he said quietly. We stared at each other for a moment, and then he winked at me before turning back around.

I breathed in deeply and looked over to find Eden watching me, a content smile on her face too. She reached out and squeezed my hand for a moment, and I squeezed back. Neither one of us let go as we went back to gazing out our windows, watching the world slip by us. As I did I thought about the past events. Eden and I had been through a lot, and Sam and Dean had been by our sides every second of it. Nothing had ever felt so right for me. I was exactly where I belonged. And I was with exactly who I was supposed to be with. And so it would be, from now until eternity.

Up front, Dean turned the radio up a bit. But this time it wasn't a song I minded. The familiar lyrics of a song by Kansas filled the car.

"Carry on, my wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done…"

Smiling, I leaned back again and closed my eyes. Though there was not one person in this car that was done with everything they were meant to do, we had all found our peace already. We'd found it together, and together we would keep it.

Slowly I drifted off to sleep. The Impala continued on, carry us, as it always would, to our future. Our future together.

Well, that is it! The last chapter of the story. Thank you all so much for reading it, and I hoped you liked it well enough. I just want to let everyone know that as of now, I'm taking a break from fanfiction. I don't know for how long, but I do have plans for more stories about Rivan and Eden. When I get something written that sounds decent, I plan on posting it. Until then, I'll be around, reading stories and all that jazz. Again, thank you to everyone for your support. I met some awesome people here, and life is better because of that. Take care, everyone. Love ya. And of course, reviews are welcome, as long as they are polite.