The Story of Sammi

'Tis the Season

December snuck up on us rather quickly once Thanksgiving ended. Everywhere we went, you would see signs of Christmas, whether it was the lights dangling from nearby houses and businesses, or the Christmas tree stands that lined almost every corner. After my Poppy and Nana both passed, I actually stopped celebrating Christmas. Hey, I lived alone and there was no one to exchange gifts with, so there really was no point. When Sam and Dean found out I didn't get excited over the holidays, they made a vow to change that. Dean went out almost daily to find the best Christmas decorations he could, and Sam would tell me stories about some of the Christmases he and Dean shared when they were younger. About two weeks before Christmas, the house looked so festive you would have thought Santa and his elves did the decorating. I had to admit that the decorations looked amazing. I decided to give the boys the benefit of the doubt and started getting a little more excited for Christmas to arrive. On one particular day, I pulled Dean off to the side and said, "I need your help with something." "What's up, princess?" he asked. "I know Christmas is the season of giving, and I would really like to get Sam something," I told him. "Can you take me to the mall so I can go shopping?" "Absolutely," Dean said. "What about Sam?" "What about me?" Sam asked, sneaking up behind me. "We were talking about making plans for today," I said. "We were going to ask what you wanted to do." "Don't worry about me, baby," he said. "I have plans with your dad today." "You're going hunting?" Dean asked. "No," Sam laughed. "We're going Christmas shopping. Since he missed so many Christmases with Sammi, he needs my help finding the perfect gift." "He doesn't have to get me anything," I told him. "He's your father, princess," Dean said. "And he's getting a second chance to have a relationship with you. He's going to get you something whether you want him to or not." No sooner had Dean spoken when we heard a knock at the door. "That would be him," Sam said. Dad opened the door and said, "Anyone home?" I walked toward him. "Hey dad," I said, giving him a hug. "I heard you're taking Sam Christmas shopping." "I am," he replied. "I figured I may as well get some quality time in with my future son-in-law. I invited Dean, too, but he wanted to keep you company today." "Lucky me," I said, nudging Dean. Sam leaned in for a kiss then said, "We'll see you two later. Don't get into any trouble while we're gone." "Trouble is my middle name," Dean said with a smile. After watching Sam and Dad pull away from the house, I turned to Dean and said, "You ready to go do some shopping of our own?" "I was born ready," he said. We arrived at the mall a short time later. "So do you have any ideas what you want to get my brother?" Dean asked. "Not really," I said. "I figured I would look around, see if anything catches my eye. Is there anything you can think of that he really needs?" "I picked him up a new jacket," Dean replied. "He's had the same one for years." "Anything else come to mind?" I asked. Dean thought for a moment then said, "A new watch. His broke during one of our hunts with your dad." "Looks like we're heading for the jewelry store then," I told him. It only took me about ten minutes to locate the perfect watch for Sam. I showed it to Dean first before actually purchasing it. "He's going to love it, mostly because it came from you," Dean said. "I know," I agreed. "Now to go find something for my dad. I still don't know what he likes, so it's going to be tough, but I have to get him a little something." "What about a new jacket?" Dean suggested. "Like Sam, it seems he's been using the same one for years." "Can I take you shopping with me all the time??" I asked him. "You make it so much easier!" "They say two heads are better than one, princess," he replied. We headed over to the clothing store and took a look around. I spotted the jacket I wanted almost immediately. Walking over to the rack to check the sizes, I asked Dean, "Can you take a guess at what size I might need?" "You can never go wrong with an extra large," Dean said. "Especially when someone is tall like your dad or Sam." "Great point," I told him. I grabbed an extra large jacket from the rack and said, "Dad's done." We walked up to the counter, paid for the jacket, and made our way out of the store. "Do you mind if I leave you for a few, princess?" Dean asked. "I need to take a bathroom break." "Sure," I said. "I'll be looking around in other stores, so just call me when you're ready to meet up again." He nodded and took off toward the other end of the mall. This gave me the perfect opportunity to pick out a gift for Dean. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, since the only things I knew for sure that he really loved were his car and pie, but I just had to get him something. I noticed a little novelty shop across the mall, so I made my way over to see what I could find. I picked up a shirt that said Hand over the pie and no one gets hurt, and I knew that I just had to get it. I searched around a little more to see if there was anything else that I could find for Dean. After all, I got his brother a pretty expensive watch and my dad's gift wasn't exactly cheap. After looking around for about five minutes, I found a fleece blanket that had a picture of a car on it. The car reminded me so much of Baby, so I picked that up as well and took both items over to the counter to pay for them. After only about an hour of shopping, I had found presents for all three of the men in my life. For someone who didn't really care for Christmas, I was starting to really get back into the spirit. My phone rang just as I was leaving the novelty store. "Are you almost ready to go, princess?" Dean asked. "I'm ready when you are," I told him. "Meet me over by the entrance where we parked," he said. "We'll stop for lunch on the way home." As I made my way to where Dean was waiting, I found myself singing along with the Christmas music that was echoing throughout the mall.