Please Come Home For Christmas

[Ryder James Winchester]

For a moment in time, Ryder felt as if he had never been happier. His heart was full to bursting; the sensation so intense that he thought it might come through his shirt. Having his baby sister back and gaining a beautiful niece, reuniting with his big brother after the detachment between them, making peace with his family and with himself, and finally finding the pieces of his broken spirit within the soul of the beautiful women that made him feel like an innocent again; it was all he’d ever wanted and ever needed.
Simi was in his arms and she wasn’t going anywhere.

They say if things seem too good to be true, they probably aren’t. He’d always believed them, but never so vehemently until -this- moment.

The winter wasn’t a particular harsh one, but seeing that familiar guileless face froze the man so that he felt as it he couldn’t move. Confusion stained his sight so that he couldn’t see past it, nor could he feel the comfort of Simone’s arms around him. As Cristine came closer his heart burst into a thousand pieces again; the reverie of the misery he’d withstood for so long hitting him in the chest. The shards fell all around him in the snow and this time he didn’t know how he’d ever be able to pick them all back up.

What did it mean? How could this have happened?
Ryder’s confusion turned to fear when the realization of the ‘how’ became lucid. He couldn’t remember ever completing the deal with the crossroads demon, but that was no big surprise. In those despondent months he had been so fucked up there were days…weeks that had passed with no recollection. The drinking, the black-outs, praying for death…it seemed as if finally he had gotten his wish. The hunter knew that he was about to take his last breath, for loosing Simi now would be the death of him.

Before Ryder could move or speak, the ghost of his chocolate haired fiancée threw herself into his arms and he gasped at the sensation of her lithe arms around him.
She was very real, and very warm, and the feeling was so familiar he forgot where he was for a moment.
Silvery blue eyes filled with storm clouds snapped to Simi’s astonished cobalt ones and the sensation was like a blade piercing his chest. In that look he saw everything he’d gained over the past few months fade away. Though he was desperate to hold onto it, he knew he deserved none of it.

As before Cris was wrapping him in her embrace again, this time pressing her velvet lips against his like she’d done so many times before. She was alive… she was kissing him…and he felt nothing but heart break.

The young hunter’s mouth was parted in bewilderment when the brunette pulled back and he could once again focus on the woman he loved, the one that he needed and wanted; Simi James.
Her fury in her sapphire eyes was visceral. Were as before the confusion and shock in them had penetrated his heart, this time it severed his gut and Ryder instinctively wrapped his arms around himself so that his insides didn’t fall out.

The air around them grew colder, and the power that surged within it fairly radiated through his body like white lightening. He knew that it stemmed from his powerful witch, but the snowball that struck Cris’ face and left her gasping in surprise was wholly unexpected.

The calm smile that played over her lips when Simone turned towards him did not match her gaze, and he could hardly breathe past the knot in his throat. Shaking his head at her accusation, Ryder could find no words or explanation. He couldn’t understand it himself.
He’d gone to hell after loosing Cris, but he had been lifted to heaven after finding Simi.

The Fates were some really sick bitches.

When the anger in her eyes turned to sadness, the middle Winchester was helpless against it. The need to take her in his arms was intense and instinctive, but Ryder knew didn’t deserve the warms of her embrace.

“Simi…I….” Ryder furrowed his brow, lifting a hand to rub at a sharp pain in his chest. He could feel the shards there, stabbing through the cage of his ribs. “I don’t…remember.”
He shook his head and looked at Cris with a bemused expression, and his chest ached more at the confusion written on hers too.

What had he done?

Swallowing thickly, Ryder lifted the hand from his chest to rub across his mouth. He
-knew- what the hell he had done even if he didn’t remember it and it had put them all in a fucked up situation. Eyes narrowed in defeat, he shifted his gaze from Simi to Cris, and then they fell to her belly.

The baby…

“Let go inside and talk about this.” His voice was that of a broken man. What. Had. He. Done.

[crisgraves]

Cris could smell Ryder’s shock as if was leaking from his pores like a saccharine perfume. Just the miserable looks on his and the witch’s face was enough to sustain her for years… but she had more than years, she had an eternity. Oh, yes. This was even sweeter than she’d imagined. What an accomplishment the demon would be able to sing praises about when she returned to the pit. Not only had she drug a -Winchester- down to raze in the pyre, but she had broken his heart first, along with the heart of the James witch. Surely it would be enough to advance her station amongst her cursed brethren. Hopefully it would be sufficient enough to get her closer to Satan; if not for a passionate night in flames, then for a brief moment. The briefest of moments was all she needed, for now.

Blinking her russet eyes in satisfaction at the witch’s angered expression; the black-eyed demon let a smirk dance across her lips just for Simi to see. Poor Ryder. The man was so helplessly befuddled he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. And Simone…the beautiful Simone. How rewarding it would be to watch that strong will bend and tears fall from those crystalline eyes.

The demon was feeling so pleased for the moment she didn’t realize the storm of power that was rushing toward her. That was until the clouds broke and the rain of magic came crashing down on her head.
The bitter white hit her square in the face and was enough to knock the smirk from her lips. Taken aback for a moment, Cris gasped and bent double; hands lifted to her cold cheeks to wipe the snow from them. When she rose up, the ire inside her burned like the fires in hell, and she almost blasted the bitch with a dark magic of her own. Almost.
Coffee eyes narrowed in anger, she took a moment to collect herself as Ryder stumbled over words and justification, knowing if she blew her cover now it would be all over.

Silly witch. Tricks were for kids…and demons.
Cristine Graves wasn’t about to be bested by Simone James.

She let her expression melt into blameless confusion; wide doe eyes drifting back and forth between the pair as they exchanged words and catching Ryder’s gaze move to her belly. Oh yeah, that’s right. The baby.
Dropping her own palm to the nonexistent lump there, she forced a shiver though she was really too warmed by pride to feel the cold, and nodded innocently at the suggestion they move inside. She didn’t want the others to miss this show.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m all for getting inside where it’s warm. It won’t do the baby any good if I let myself catch a cold.” Pushing her hand into the hunter’s, Cris led the way, casting a catty look over her shoulder at Simi. She was going to force as much lovey-dovey and pregnant wife-to-be shit down the witch’s throat as she could. Maybe the blonde would even lose her temper and strike her. That would surely make Ryder see what a mistake he’d made in hooking up with her. No dignified woman would ever, ever hit a pregnant female.

Ryder followed her inside like a dog on a leash. Cris could tell this little surprise had really screwed him up, so for now his closed off reaction was tolerable. She was sure once the blonde bitch was out of the picture it would be easier. Once they were alone and she could remind him of all the ways he’d missed her, the hunter would be putty in the demon’s nimble fingers.

Not everyone took notice to their entrance, but a few heads turned, which only stroked at Cris’s need for attention.
She tugged Ryder closer to the fire and draped her arms around his shoulders, making sure to massage his hips with her own. This had to be believable. A pregnant woman that missed her lover was sure to display affection in this way.

“So what’s going on, baby? What did you forget to tell her and why does it even matter? I can’t have missed -that- much, you were only gone a few days. Did you help her or something? Was she part of the hunt you were off on?” Cristine tugged his hand down to her stomach, blinking guilelessly as she met several eyes that were on her. “Oh, I’m Cristine by the way…” She offered to Simi, realizing the human Cris would never be so rude as to not introduce herself. “You must be a little friend of Ryder’s.”

And she smiled brightly; straight bone white teeth radiating warmth. “Merry Christmas everybody!”

[Simone Winchester]

From Heaven to Hell in Sixty seconds.


Simi was pretty sure that she'd broken a record somehow, some way. One moment she was flying high as a kite, secure in the love and happiness she'd found with Ry and then next.. the next she felt like her life had become another train wreck of ruin possibilities.

Same song, different verse.

She didn't need anyone to paint her a picture of what was unraveling before her. Simi saw everything she needed to see to confirm her shattered dreams in Ryders stunned, regret lined face. Her worst fears.. Worst suspicions were true and she felt as if the earth had crumbled beneath her feet as she stared at him. Not even his pain could touch the ice that seemed to be slowly encasing her own heart as she stared into those beloved blue eyes.

And the worst part was.... She couldn't even blame him for it.

She'd known from day one that Cristine had been the love of his life and that he'd almost killed himself in the grief of losing her. Hadn't he confessed that very first night that he'd attempted or thought about making a deal almost every night for six months following his fiances death? Was it really so strange that he made the deal one night, probably drunk of his ass and a demon had taken advantage of it to screw with his mind? Hell, ALL of their minds?

No, this one she'd walked into with her eyes wide open. This one was on her. She had no one else to blame and maybe her big brother had been right when he'd warned her to move more slowly.

God, she was such a fool. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

And then the real blow came.

At the other woman's words about "the baby" Simi felt as if she'd been punched in the middle. Her own hand hovered protectively over her own stomach as she watched Ryders gaze go to Cristines lower section and it was almost all she could do not to be sick all over the pair of them. Fierce pride was the only thing that kept her from slapping that sappy, somehow falsely innocent look off the woman's face as she took Ryders hand and began to lead.. yes LEAD.. him back to the house like a little lost puppy.

God, if she hadn't been already sick... That would have done it.

For a long moment, Simi made no move to stop them but stood there in the cold snow and felt just as frozen. She caught the look the other woman shot at her but it was just a drop in the never ending torrent of pain. Tears did not come because she was simply to shell shocked to register the need for them and her mind refused to work as it whirled with the proceeding events.

Who knew how long she would have stood out in the elements but then.... the James weren't known for their passive natures and Simi wasn't her mothers daughter for nothing. It was that same stubborn, do or die nature that came to her rescue now and allowed her to turn and follow the pair inside. Every step she took cemented a cool, fragile emotional armor around her so that by the time she finally stepped inside the parlor with the pair, her face was impassive and all of the hurt shut away.

Keeping her gaze firmly on the couple, the slender blond ignored the stunned silence that had fallen around them even as she caught the feeling of surprise, bewilderment and "What the Fuck?" that seemed to permeate the air. She would have laughed it if hadn't been so screwed up but somehow.. She couldn't come up with any of her normally upbeat demeanor.

Imagine that, huh?

Crossing her arms in front of her, Simi gritted her teeth as the beautiful brunette chattered and then turned to "introduce" herself. Simi knew she should probably be hospitable since this was her home and she knew her duties as a hostess but she simply couldn't bring herself to return the greeting.

Something about the woman made her want to smack that sly smile right off her face even though logically.. the blond knew SHE was the intruder on the couples little love fest. Cristine had every right to touch Ryder like she was and to be a cat towards a woman she suspected of pouching on her territory. In her place, Simi knew she'd probably have flattened another woman for the scene she'd no doubt saw pulling up the drive.

That didn't mean, however, that Simi was paragon enough to follow through with those good intentions, however. Hell, she WAS mostly human after all.

And this woman had just torn her world apart.

"Lets just cut to the chase, shall we?" she said coolly, looking from Cristine to Ryder with a hard, icy blue gaze. "Its Christmas Eve and I'd like to have this done before anymore of it is ruined. Obviously, Ryder has some things to tell you and since it involves the rest of us.. nows as good of a time as any. My name is Simone James and this is my families home.. Which i'm sure you obviously know since you've shown up here. The others around us are family and family friends so we don't have any secrets between us.... "

Titling her head a bit, Simi allowed her gaze to meet the tawny haired hunters impassively even as she caught sight of the others in the room staring at them with varying degrees of horror and distress. Good Lord, she HAD to get this over with before her brittle control shattered.

"Mr. Winchester... .The floors all yours."

With that, she turned and paced to the window to stare unseeingly out into the falling darkness.

[/center]

[Ryder James Winchester]

It was all too much for Ryder to take in.
The look on Simi’s face, Cris being here now and mentioning the baby he had lost before, her warm hand wrapped around his as she dragged him towards the house that now seemed more like a prison than the heaven he had previously thought it.
If he could have shook himself from the utter revelation that was turning him from a human man into a zombie then perhaps he would have fled the scene; pulled his grip from the ghost’s and run far away, because honestly, after that first tragedy a year ago the young hunter realized of all things, running away was what he was best at.

But Ryder couldn’t -think- past all the confusion and despair, let alone run or escape, and so he let himself be pulled into the fire and company warmed home as if he was child merely being led in from the cold.
He glanced backwards to make sure his Angel was still there and thought he might utter some word of optimism, but the fierceness he caught in those sapphire eyes only made him all feel all the more empty; knowing the pain this must be causing her.

When Cris wrapped her arms and body around him, it was all the young hunter could do not to pull out of her embrace, it felt so…wrong…yet so familiar, which only confused him further. He remembered loving the feel of her body against his, the smell of her breath on his face, and though he had loved her so fiercely that he had been willing to sacrifice his own mortal life to bring her back from the dead, the light of that adoration seemed a pale glow next to the flame he held for the blonde witch now watching him from across the room; throwing daggers at him with her glare.

Was it possible to have loved someone so much, only to find that it seemed trivial compared to the way another person made him feel? Ryder wondered if the adoration he had -believed- he felt for Cristine had only been magnified after losing their child and then having to take her life. He couldn’t remember his heart ever pounding so fiercely as it did when he was in Simi’s arms.

But…did it even matter now? Now that Cris was back and his witch was looking at him with such calm abhorrence for the briefest moment he wondered if she’d ever be able to forgive him.

The sensation of a balmy hand guiding his down to rest on her belly brought the middle Winchester out of his bleak thoughts and he sucked his breath in sharply at the remembrance of the life that grew within there. Despite the uncertainty and heartache and ire that was swirling around the room Ryder focused on the one thing that was able to ground him; a baby he believed he would never get to meet.

Emotion seemed to suck all the air from the space as his eyes lifted and moved back and forth between Cris; who was asking him questions and the others that were fairly seething with shock.

And then it was if Simi was stomping on those scattered shards of his heart when she glared at him with utter indifference, confronting him to explain in front of everyone just how it had come to pass that a dead woman had come back to life with no recollection.

For a moment, Ryder could think of nothing to say. He couldn’t stop watching Simi’s back as she turned and glided to the window. Swallowing the knot in his throat, he pulled out of Cris’ gentle grasp and rubbed the top of his head awkwardly, lowering his eyes to a spot on the carpet that was just a hair lighter than the rest. Probably a drop of spilled milk from one of the babies…

Clearing his throat, he furrowed his brow and glanced back up, soft eyes moving toward Cristine before being drawn to Simi again…it was automatic, he couldn’t really help it.
And then he started speaking…

“Cristine was my fiancée.” He winced, lifting a hand to rub absently at his creased brow, bemused as to which terms to use; past or present. “ Is…or was…before she died.”
He sighed and offered Cris a look of compassion as he continued, knowing of all people this was likely to be more a revelation for her than anyone else.
“She was turned into a vampire…and then came after me, and so…to stay alive I had to…”

He couldn’t finish. The scene returned to his mind’s eye like a bloody horror movie playing out right in front of him. Besides she didn’t need to hear the details of her murder. Not in her condition.

“I blamed myself for what happened…I blamed myself and I blamed Ben.” His stormy gaze paused on his brother for a moment before dropping to the floor again. “After what I did I didn’t think I deserved to live. I wanted to die, and tried to force the reaper by going on binges so intense I blacked out after most of them. I was so repentant for what I had done I thought the only thing I could do to make up for it was to -undo- it, and there were plenty of times I went to a crossroads to make a deal but was too much of a coward to go through with it. I…don’t remember the red-eyed demon or the night I actually went through with it. But…I guess…I did it. I made a deal with the devil to bring her back in exchange for my own soul…”

And that was it. That was all the hunter could say. The shards of broken heart that had fallen out of his chest, had been stomped on my Simi’s glare, had turned to ice while he’d been telling the story, now burst into glittering crystals and dispersed on the stunned exhale from those gathered in the room.

Ryder was more than empty now. He was nothing. He deserved nothing and he deserved everything. He deserved to be dragged down into the pit and he wouldn’t even fight it. Wouldn’t even scream.

[Ben Isaac Winchester]

Damn, but the night was turning out to be something else. In a room full of family and friends, Ben couldn’t help but wonder why he’d been so reluctant to come into the house in the first place. All that bad crap; all the anxiety, the pain, the chaos that the world outside these hollowed halls provided…they were kept at bay. It was as if the James house was some kind of haven for its loved ones, and quietly, the eldest Winchester sibling couldn’t help but give thanks for being one of the ranks. All of the easygoing banter and the loving stares that each couple were giving each other; it reminded him of why he did what he did. It was Christmas, he was with family, and finally, finally, he was at peace.

…Or so he thought. Damn you, fate! You cold hearted BITCH.

At first, Ben hadn’t even thought to pay attention to the doorbell that went off in the foyer. He’d been busy playing with his niece, greeting other familiar faces around the Christmas tree and opening his own presents. Not to mention he had to check out the sight on the new special order Jordan pistol that Curse had modified for him. One bullet could take out two demons! This thing was the SHIZ!

Grinning like a two year old, he started to aim the gun at the nearest wall before realizing that he had a baby in his lap. Ducking his head under some chiding stares, he tucked the gun back into its box and slid it securely under his foot. He managed to evade a few more nerf missiles, traded some sweet nothings with others opening their own gifts…and then, as all happy evenings went around the Winchesters, the night went straight into the crapper.

There was a tangible pall that fell over the group, and frowning in curiosity, Ben pushed himself to his feet to check it out. Was someone late? Had one of the kids broken some piece of expensive pottery, or had someone caught Chey and Bastian making friendlies outside the door? Good GOD, say it wasn’t the latter, or he’d have to find the nearest garbage can and—

The Hunter screeched to a halt when he reached the hall and saw that familiar face in the entrance. Like a bitch slap to the face, he was transported back to the night Ryder’s fiancé died, and a garbled curse tore itself from his throat. What in GOD’S name was this?!

He quickly handed off a now squalling Jessie to her mother. When Ryder, Simi and a few of the others who’d witnessed the ghostly woman’s entrance made for the nearest ‘private room,’ Ben was quick to follow. When Cristine threw her arms around his brother, he was insanely tempted to launch himself at her and shove her away. Cristine had died in a vampire raid! They’d both seen her body; had buried it! How the HELL was she standing in front of them, cooing at her long lost boyfriend?!

It was a question that had better be answered fast, he thought absently, catching the look on Simi’s face. The witch had most of her mama’s innate gifts, and nobody in the house wanted to deal with random sharp things flying through the air…but he had to give her credit; the younger James girl merely retreated to a darkened window.

Ben, on the other hand, wasn’t going to be so forgiving. When Ryder began his speech, admitting to the animosity that had haunted them only months earlier, he couldn’t help but clench his jaw and look away. But the rest had him taking a step toward his brother, his fists clenching of their own accord.

“You WHAT?!” He growled out, glancing sideways at the eerily innocent looking Cristine. “Jesus Christ, Ryder, a crossroads? Your fucking soul? You’re frikkin’ insane!” Oh, the urge to shake some sense into his brother was overwhelming, but he planted himself where he was.

With a deep, calming breath, he turned to face Ryder and block out the image of his previous beloved. “When did this happen, Ry? Do you remember that much? We need to know how much time you have, so we can fix this.”

Or find out what really was going on. Did demons allow their prey to forget about the deals they made? It would definitely add to the shock and horror factor when time was up, but hell, man!

Some frikkin Merry Christmas.

[/blockquote]

[Chevrolet Winchester]

Chey had been looking forward to having just a nice, normal Christmas. She was looking forward to having a nice family Christmas. How stupid must she have been to believe that? There was so much joy inside the house. She’d been talking to everyone, giving people gifts and just generally having a good time. She of course looked over at her baby girl every now and then but her little one was quiet happy with her uncle Ben. Chey couldn’t help but look at Jessica and wonder if that’s how she had been as a child, Dad always said that Chey didn’t seem happy unless she was near her brothers. That fact was still true. But her daughter definitely took after her in that way. She was already a Winchester. Already a family girl. Once her mother had arrived, Chey had been sat with her, talking about what she’d got the boys for Christmas. Her mother was as excited as she was to have all her children happy and together and talking. Chey was starting to think about how nice it was to have everything going smoothly, without a hitch. She was about to get a shock now, wasn’t she? Chey had got up to go and grab herself and her mother a drink, on her way to the kitchen when she spotted Ryder and Simi and……………. Cristine? Chey stood there, frozen, jaw open like a fish out of water. Before she knew it, everyone else was staring with her. She couldn’t even bring herself to say anything. She was just in shock. Seriously, was this some sick joke?

As her teeny tot was handed into her arms, Chey was forced to come out of her shocked state and comfort her little one, though it was already proving to not be an easy task. Eventually the wailing stopped but the little one continued to grumble like she was about to scream at any moment. Ryder stood there and told the room what was going on. Of course the Winchester’s didn’t need to know any of it, they’d suffered through it with Ryder. Maybe in a completely different way, but they’d still suffered. But then there was a part of the story that was all new to all of them. Chey felt like her entire chest went numb. It was so hard to keep herself in anyway calm, but it was what she needed to do. It was what Jessica needed. Chey couldn’t really bring herself to even look at Ryder, but after looking at the devastation on her Mom’s face for a moment, she realized she couldn’t look away either. She found herself burying her head against a little head of blonde curls, hoping the world would fall from under them and leave the two of them standing there. It was only her oldest brother’s worlds that brought Chey back to the room. Looking up, her eyes went wider with every word he said. Chey could see the urge in Ben, the urge to grab Ryder and shake him, Chey had the same urge, but she also knew that none of those would make any difference to what was going on.

Moving to bridge the gap between her siblings, Chey held her spare hand at Ben’s chest, her daughter on her hip, facing towards Ryder. Chey looked for a moment as those little eyes looked up at him. She was probably the only person in the room that didn’t understand what Ryder had done. She was glad about that. She didn’t want her daughter to ever know such a thing. As those thoughts flooded her mind, Chey turned her head to look towards Ben. “Stop it!” Wasn’t it supposed to be the middle sibling that was the mediator. “You think we’d know by now that aggression never solved anything.” In that moment, Chey swore to god that if Cristine destroyed her family again, she’d behead her, herself, no matter what she was. Then Ben asked when it happened, talking about ‘fixing’ it. Chey’s face dropped slightly, a tear sliding down her face. She didn’t think it was possible, honestly. Just like her dad couldn’t get out of it, she didn’t think Ryder was going to get out of it that easy. Finally lowering her hand from Ben’s chest, Chey turned completely towards Ryder and Cristine. A small sigh escaped her. “Well hell… No one would guess it with all this… But you’re more of a Winchester than anyone could have given you credit for.” With that, her previously crying and clearly upset daughter seemed to projectile vomit in Cristine’s direction. Well hell, if things weren’t so bad, Chey would have had to laugh at that. She’d taken a long time to get used to Cristine. She’d never liked the guys in her brothers’ lives, but she’d finally given Cristine the benefit of the doubt. She sorta wished she hadn’t. Even if it wasn’t her fault, all she’d done was rip Chey’s family apart.

[/blockquote]

[Simone Winchester]

It was funny how calm a person could remain even as they watched their dreams come crashing down around them.

From somewhere that seemed to almost be outside of her own body, Simi felt the weight of every figurative brick as the man she loved admitted to the one crime that had the power to truly rip them apart. A crime that not only cost them any hope of a future together but the bright vibrant soul inside him that Simi loved so much.

With each word, her shoulders sank a bit more and she trembled with the need to lash out and hurt something just as she was hurting.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, the pain in Ryder's own hollow tones kept her from letting her own feelings out because as bad as she was hurting...The though of causing him anymore agony was worse. Ever fair in the face of all injustice, the little blond dropped her forehead against the cold pane of glass in front of her and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath struggling for some sort of reply that would not sound judgmental or dissolute.

And then the sound of Ben's voice rang out behind her and there was no need. Pulling back from the window once more, Simi pivoted so that the room was once again in her view. Her gaze went first to Ryder and then rested on Cristine as Ben fought to keep his own rage at his brothers actions under control. His voice cracked with fury and disbelief but his first concern was for his brother and figuring out how the hell they could get him free of it.

She knew she'd always adored the big ape for some reason.

Moving forward, Simi wrapped her arms around her middle and opened her mouth to speak but Chey's Interception of her older sibling made her pause. Her words rang out so true that if it hadn't been such a screwed up situation, the young woman knew it would have been worth a wry laugh. Like father, like son and all that. Ryder was definitely following in his dad's footsteps.

At just that moment, baby Jessica decided to take exception to the tension in the room and burped up her latest meal. In stunned fascination, the blond realized that it had splattered at Cristine's face and the look of disgust that flew over the woman's feet made a sarcastic smile spread over her own features. Well, for a mother to be.. It seemed that Ryder's newly returned fiance wasn't really a baby person. Simi supposed she should be ashamed that she took such grim satisfaction at the baby's actions but then.. she'd never claimed to be perfect.

Feeling a throbbing headache taking up residence in her temples, Simi glanced around at those gathered and then ran a hand through her damp blond locks. Noting the trembling in her limbs and the weight lodged in her chest, she knew that her control was coming to a swift end and she needed to get out of there before she gave the newly returned lover the satisfaction of seeing her pain.

Clearing her voice, she forced low, neutral toned words passed her lips even as she took a step backwards to the door.

"Well... Seeing as this is a family matter that would be best disgust between you all... Please excuse me because I need to slip into something dry and warm.... "

That said, Simi fled as if all the hounds of hell were on her heels.

[Ryder James Winchester]

Ryder had his head hung, unable to force himself to look up at anyone, especially not Simi or the critical stares from his family.
What he’d done hadn’t just affected his life, or even the life of the woman he’d brought back from the dead, but was a virtual domino effect starting from his mother and father and falling all the way down the line to his brother and sister, his niece, Simone and her brother…and it didn’t stop until it touched everyone in the room, if only just barely.

The contract that he’d struck; though he couldn’t for the life of him remember the moment said pact had taken place, had brought his fiancée back only to make her a widow sometime in the near future. He doubted the child that grew within her belly would ever know his father, save the sacrifice he’d made. And what about his father; Dean, who hadn’t never kept from his kids what he’d been through after making the same kind of deal for the life of his younger brother Sam? Ryder felt as though he had let the man down; for all his advice, and all the training that he’d given, had seemingly fallen on deaf ears.

Not only had Dean and Lisa just recently gotten their middle son back, but his siblings, younger and older, had barely had time with their brother since the man had woken up from almost a year of near comatose, and his sister’s baby would miss all the indulgence and adoration that Ryder would have been able to rain down on the little dumpling as she grew.

And Simi…his angel Simi…they had been through so much together. Healing, new beginnings, learning to love and trust again; Ryder’s heart ached imagining how she must be feeling at this moment. The emptiness in her sapphire eyes and in her voice told a story of adoration and faith fairly fading like the moonlight as it hid behind gauzy clouds. He had let her down too. He had stolen the light from her eyes like a cruel thief. And he hated himself for it.

The hunter’s eyes were drawn up from the ground at the heated voice of his brother Ben. At first the stormy blue-grey orbs landed on the tightly clenched fists at Ben’s sides, and he wished to God that the elder hunter would use them. He wanted the hurt in his body to match the one in his soul. He warranted as much.
But the blows did not come and the hunter took a defeated breath as he shook his head, unable to answer the questions that were asked of him.

“It must have been just after it happened…” His gaze moved to Cristine’s horrified expression for the briefest moment. She was in shock and had yet to say anything yet which worried the hunter something fierce. “Those first few months were the worse as far as the drinking and black outs went. After a while I started to get so numb I didn’t really need it anymore…”

Ryder lifted a trembling hand back through his tawny hair and then let the palm fall to the back of his neck as he struggled to remember something, anything about the pact.

Chey’s small hand on his chest drew his eyes back up from the floor (where they had vacantly fallen once again, as if something there would answer all the questions beseeched of him) and for a moment looking into her firm glare, and then the innocent eyes of the child she held, he believed everything would be okay. He -was- a Winchester, and Winchesters didn’t give up. Ever. They fought to the death…and fought death…whichever came first.

A gasp was torn from the man’s throat when suddenly baby Jessica let her dinner fly, and his optimism disappeared just as fleetingly as it had emerged. Cristine; who’d all this time been too stunned to talk and looking pale as a ghost seemed to rouse from her waking slumber to screech, taking a step backwards as if she could escape the sick all over her shoes.
For a moment Ryder imagined he saw abhorrence flash in her chocolate eyes, but like the hope he’d felt, this too was gone like it had never been.

The middle didn’t know what else to do besides try and comfort her, though he certainly didn’t feeling like the doting husband and father to be, he reached for a kitchen towel that had been left on the coffee table and rushed to wipe remnants off of her pants.

This was the exact moment Simi decided to make her exit and Ryder’s face tensed, suddenly afraid that her walking out of the room was akin to walking out of his life, and he was desperate to talk to her before either of those things happened…
“Simi…wait…” Ryder pressed the towel into Cristine’s hand and held his outstretched palm out to the blonde, just about to take a step forward to stop her from leaving…

Once again, the Fates intervened. He heard the quiet moan escape Cris’s parted lips a moment before a soft thud of the female hitting the carpet. She had fainted.
Simi’s exit was forgotten for the moment as he pivoted to drop down to the ground with his fiancée, lifting her head up and imploring that the mother-to-be was okay.

[crisgraves]

Cristine had heard all this before and frankly, it was already starting to bore her. It took all the self-indulgent demon had within her not to lift her hand to make ‘blah’, ‘blah’, ‘blah’ gestures with her fingers.Honestly, she had been expecting just a little more reaction to the startling new developments; some tears, maybe some horrified gasps, a little dropping to the knees begging God for mercy and some sobs would have been nice. These hunters were all too detached for their own good. Maybe that’s why this lot was so good at what they did. Their souls were already so stained with blood, having to be the cause of the spilled crimson was as routine as taking out the trash or doing laundry.

Not even the witch Simone seemed to be affected by the news that her dear, sweet lover was not only going to hell, but it was because -his- lover had returned. Oh sure, there had been fleeting moisture in those unfathomable cobalt orbs, but it hadn’t even graced her lovely pale cheek before indifference had stolen any hope for an outburst.

FINALLY, someone came forth with a little passion in their tone and actions, and the elder sibling Ben Winchester lashed out at the younger hunter with an acid tongue, but once more rationale removed the threat of chemical burns before they’d marred the tawny haired male’s skin. Cristine had to force her eyes to remain vacant, as they nearly rolled in annoyance when the young sister Chevrolet came forward as well, calming everyone with soft words and almost humor.
Damn it to hell, she had better things to do that to stand around watching them all twiddle their thumbs. She had lives to ruin, people to cut, and fires to dance around in pleasure within.

And then the Winchester babe, a saccharine thing with chubby cheeks and limbs and pink lips went and opened them to spew baby filth all over her good Jimmy Chu’s. The demon felt her eyes flash to black, but they went back to brown before the human’s had noticed, thank Satan, as it was much to early to spoil her perfect performance now.

She gasped and pulled a horrified face, lastly able to show some emotion since she’d had to hold them back lest she accidently laugh instead of act like she was surprised by all that was taking place. It was gratifying when Ryder leapt to help her, and she let her gaze fleetingly drift to the blonde witch to take in the reaction to his devotion.
Simi -almost- ruined the moment by fleeing the room, but Cristine was quick as much as she was clever, and let her body drop to the floor before the hunter could chase after his bitch.

Of course Ryder disregarded the dramatic exit to drop down to help his wife-to-be, so to be sure the attention remained on her Cristine moaned once more as if in physical pain and let her hand perch on her empty stomach. She opened tear filled eyes to find Ryder’s concerned expression all for her, which fed her need for interest and helped to force a pitiful down turn to her lips where it had moments ago been so hard to keep the malicious smile from giving her away.

“I…I suddenly felt dizzy.” Cristine laid it on thick, groaning a little as she let Ry help her to sit up again, and she lifted the hand from her stomach to his cheek. “I…don’t remember anything. I feel…the same. Like nothing has changed. I’m so scared Ryder.”

Poor, innocent Cristine. Imagine what the actual human must have felt in those mere days when she’d woken up from death to find a demon was going to take her life away again. The demon, who still never could remember her own name, forced a pained smile to her lips and hugged her hunter close. “I love you. I love you for what you did for me. Oh, God Ryder…how could you have done that for me.”

--what she was really thinking was--

Go on…tell them. Tell them it was because you could never love anyone as much as you loved me and you couldn’t live without me and no one could ever take the place of me. Tell them all that no one in this house or room will ever mean as much to you as I do…

[tristianjames]

For the past few hours, Tristian had refrained from joining the party downstairs, instead deciding to skulk the ramparts upstairs. He watched various familiar faces come in through the front door, his hands idly smoothing along the hallway banister. Ah, the James family Christmas traditions…he had missed them so. For the past six years, he’d spent most holidays in the office, preferring to work instead of dwell on what he’d lost. Lexi had declared that it was time for him to get back into ‘the swing of things,’ as she’d put it…but he couldn’t bring himself to descend the stairs.

It was as if he were staring at his past through a looking glass and he felt…uncomfortable stepping into it. He’d done so many things, lied to so many of the people down there, that it seemed wrong to intrude on their merriment. The only temptation he had was to see his children’s smiling faces, and hold his beautiful wife in his arms under mistletoe.

But upstairs is where he stayed. When Lexi came up with the baby, one of the newest additions to his little family, he forced himself to relax. He played with the little tike; making funny faces and using squeaky voices that had both the baby and his wife laughing. He could just see his little Simi and Bastian, crawling around on the bed, smiling gummy little smiles at him. The memories warmed him, instead of cutting his heart as they used to.

Finally, he was home.

The sounds of shouting started from downstairs, and the vampire frowned. Giving the baby and Lexi a quick kiss, he moved to the hall and peered down the stairs. Was someone hurt? Was there danger somewhere? All he could see was the rigid backs of those gathered in the foyer, and before he could call out a ‘what’s going on?’ Simi bounded up the stairs. She shoved passed him, making a beeline for her room and with a resounding slam, locked herself in.

What. The. HELL?

With a muttered curse about ‘happy holidays,’ Tristian quickly followed. He lightly rapped his knuckles against her door before peering inside, and froze. His baby was…crying? The sounds of her hushed sobbing tore at him, and he immediately pushed the door open and went inside.

”Simi, baby, what’s the matter? What’s going on downstairs?” He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled his daughter into his arms, wanting to hold her against his chest and steal the pain away.

[/blockquote]