(2) Bring Me Home (T. Stark)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bobby holds up a flashcard at Trinity, a hand gesture on the front of it, facing her. Spencer sits behind Trinity brushing her hair. They've taken to teaching Trinity some American Sign Language, she's going to need it now, for Serenity. Spencer has spent the last month learning herself whilst teaching Serenity.

"You know this one, Trinity" Bobby tells her, Trinity rubs at her eyes and nods. Spencer leans closer and kisses her head. "Spencer" Bobby warns knowing that Spencer is looking to tell Trinity the answer, Spencer pulls back and holds up her hands. Trinity chuckles a little and then nods.

"Potty" She answers. "That one is potty"

"Good girl" Bobby offers and picks up the next card. "What about this one?"

"Oh I know that one" Dean teases from the doorway, Spencer raises an eyebrow at him. "It's food..." Dean notices their looks. "What?" Dean asks. "I listen" He defends himself. Spencer kisses Trinity's head and then stands. Dean follows her into the kitchen, the two of them sharing a look. Both know that today is a big day. Spencer lets out a breath and moves away. "Hey, hey" Dean stops Spencer, she raises an eyebrow. "It's going to be okay" He assures her. "This is a good thing, that Serenity's getting aids right?" Spencer nods. "Do you need me to come with you to the hospital?"

"No" She stops him. "I asked Happy to come..." She admits. "You and Sam have that hunt...." Dean opens his mouth to argue. She shakes her head. "I heard you arguing about it last night, it's okay, Dean, go, we'll be fine, Happy will look after us and Bobby is taking Trinity to the zoo..."

"And Ryder?" He asks.

"You know splitting the twins up at the minute results in Ryder howling" She reminds him. "I have to take him with me" she runs her fingers through her hair and sighs. "Just wish Tony was here, you know...." She admits. "With everything that's happening, we need him" Dean rubs her arm and pulls her into a hug.

"I know that every day that passes..." He whispers in her ear, he knows that everyday that goes by with no news breaks her heart a tiny bit more, that she is losing hope that Tony will come back. And there is nothing Sam or Dean can do to fix it. They can't hunt anything. Can't kill anything. This is beyond their area of expertise. "I know you want to keep hoping, Spence" He adds. 

"I have to" She argues and pulls back. "I can't look at Trinity and tell her that her dad might not come back" She whispers at him. "She needs to believe it as much as I do. He will come back, Dean, I can feel it, I know it....." She stops to control herself, tears forming in her eyes. "I won't lost hope, because I love him, and I need him to come back" Dean nods a little and brushes his hand over her cheek. "I need him" She adds and looks down. 

..................

Dean is still at Bobby's when Spencer and the twins return from the hospital. Spencer gives Dean a look as he stands from the porch to greet her.

"Did you go on that hunt?" Spencer asks, Dean nods as he moves towards her and the twins.

"It was a simple salt'n'burn" He answers. "So...How'd it go?" Dean asks, Spencer nods.

"Okay, it's okay....she's fine so..." She shrugs a little.

"And everything went well?" He counters. "She get her hearing aids?"

"Yeah" Spencer answers. "Yeah, she got them"

"So she can hear me now?" Dean asks as he crouches in front of the pram, his eyes on Serenity. "Hey, sweetheart...." He greets, Serenity smiles at him. Dean can't help but smile back. His niece is hearing him for the first time. "I'm your uncle Dean" Spencer smirks a little and shakes her head. Just cause she can hear him now, doesn't mean she understands him. Ryder squirms in the carrier a little and Spencer sighs knowing just why he is starting to get upset.

"I left his bear in the car" Spencer scolds herself as Dean picks up Serenity to look over her new hearing aids. Spencer heads back out the houses to retrieve Ryder's stuffed bear.

...............

Spencer steps out of Bobby as she pulls on her jacket, her car keys in her hand. She turns to head towards her car when she spots Rhodey leaving his own car. He looks....emotionally drained. She knows how hard he's been trying to find Tony. She heads down the steps.

"Rhodey" she greets, he waves at her nervously before approaches him, his hands tucked in his pockets, his nerves showing. She already knows, deep down, she knows why he's here. She can feel it, in the pit of her stomach that this is the end. She takes a breath and stands up straight when he reaches the bottom of the steps.

"I'm sorry, Spencer," He tells her. "They're calling off the search" She stares at him, tears gathering in her eyes as the realisation sinks in.

"So that's it?" she asks him. "Everyone's pulling the plug and moving on..."

"There's nothing left we can do. If there was any indication Tony was still alive..."

"Don't" She scolds him. "Don't you dare..." Rhodey looks down. "If anyone could figure out how to beat the odds, it's Tony. If it was you over there, he'd be finding a way to get you back. Or inventing a new one."

"What do you want me to do, Spencer?" Rhodey asks her sadly.

"Be a better friend to him. Be a better godfather to Ryder and Serenity." And with that, she storms to her car, leaving him stung.