November 22nd, 2012
This morning had come too soon for the Singer household. Half of the inhabitants had been up all night - father, son, and daughter, sharing stories and trying to hold back the advance of time toward dawn with will power alone, while mother, aunt and uncle slept, not wishing to disturb what was so clearly needed. Ares returned Ayden to them as morning crept on, and by common consent, they had gathered together for the best breakfast Ellen was able to put together at such short notice. But as morning crept toward afternoon, they couldn't put it off any longer.
Hope stood in the middle of the study, Apollo waiting patiently by the desk, and faced her family with unhappy eyes. "I, uh, I guess this is it, then."
Though Bobby was the eldest and Dean was her father, it was Sam who stepped forward first to say goodbye to his sister. Smiling through a veil of tears, he took her in his arms to give her a gentle hug. They had been over all this before the previous day, and yet, he still felt the need to remind her that she wasn't just leaving them but going home, where she belonged and where - if everything went according to plan - they'd all be waiting. Though it was tucked beneath his shirt, he was wearing the ring Apollo had given her on a chain around his neck, close to his heart, where it would always remain. "Say hello to older me when you get there. Even if you don't remember this, I will, and I'll be wearing your ring as proof," he whispered for her ears alone.
Tearful herself, Hope cuddled into her big brother's embrace, nodding her agreement to his whisper as she squeezed him tight. It was no comfort to know that she wouldn't remember any of this when she was back in her own timestream; she felt the goodbye keenly in this moment. "I love you, Bertie," she whispered back to him, quick to dry her eyes before the tears fell, not wanting to leave him with the sight of her in tears again.
"I love you, too, Hope. Always have, always will," he whispered back, tears shining in his own eyes as he lifted his head from her shoulder to meet her gaze. "You're my best friend," he told her, his voice breaking. "I'll-I'll tell you all about our adventures when you get home, okay?"
"You'd better," she warned him, sniffing to keep herself at least vaguely under control. "I'm totally relying on you to be the easy-going uncle here." She flashed him a grin, gently ruffling her big brother's hair one last time.
It would be weird going back home to find one brother her age and one who was twenty years or so older, more uncle than brother. It would be twenty years or so before the Hope that he knew and loved would be old enough to share his secret and even then, there was no guarantee she'd believe him. At least he'd have his parents, and Bobby and Ellen, to back him up. He wondered what his younger counterpart would think when he found out the truth. Would he be jealous" Was it better to leave well enough alone and not tell her at all" Or maybe he should only tell her and not his younger self. It was all very confusing, but thankfully, he had twenty years or so to figure it all out. He chuckled a little at her remark, even as he swiped at an errant tear. "No guarantees, but I'll try. It'll be hard to fool me. I know all our tricks."
"You taught me all our tricks," she pointed out, backing up a step with a laugh, glad she'd brought a smile onto his face at the last. Her eyes flickered to Bobby and Ellen, and the older woman swept her up in a tight hug, swift and warm, propelling the youngest Winchester in the room into Bobby's arms whether he was happy to hug the girl or not.
Bobby offer a very grandfatherly hug, trying his best to remain stoic failing miserably. "This ain't good-bye, baby girl. We're gonna see each other again real soon. You be good for your mom and dad and have a safe trip home."
"You better be there," Hope told the older generation as sternly as she could manage. "'Cos I gotta learn how to cook somehow, and I'm not good with Latin yet. So there."
Ellen chuckled softly, recognizing their place in this little girl's life, finding it easier to say goodbye in the knowledge that it would only be a few years before they had her back again.
Dean hung back, reluctant to say good-bye. In a way, he was glad he was hanging onto one half of the duo, and he had often wondered over the last few days why he couldn't keep them both. If Sam's theory was right, there would be two Sams in the future. Why not two Hopes" But he had the feeling that might be pushing their luck a little too far. He knew there was one Fate left out there somewhere waiting to exact her revenge, and he didn't want that revenge to be taken out on his children. Sam remained close to Hope, though he had already said good-bye. Of all of them, Dean knew this parting was likely hardest on him, and his thoughts toward his eldest son softened. He wouldn't be like John, he reminded himself. He'd be a real father to his children - all his children.
"Don't you worry. I plan to be," Bobby replied, glancing at Dean and Nim or Jo or whatever name she was going by now. "You better get on with it then."
"Yes, Grampa." For the first time, Hope called Bobby by the name she and Sam had planted on him when they were children, rather than the safer Uncle Bobby she'd been using since they got here. She kissed his cheek, and whirled away to catch Ayden in her grip.
If Dean's sister was surprised by the sheer force of emotion that radiated from Hope as the girl hugged her, she did her best to hide it, knowing now that she had raised this girl through her teens and hoping like hell that future had changed for the better. "All right, squirt, ease off," Ayden murmured, gently setting the girl back from her with a smile. "Won't be so long before you see me again."
Hope nodded, rubbing at her nose as she sniffed once again. "I know," she promised. "Just remember to take a coupla pictures of the wedding this time. Always pissed me off that you didn't."
Ares stood quietly behind Ayden, saying nothing but looking on with a wistful look on his face, perhaps thinking of his own family and missing them, or at least, some of them. "Pictures?" he asked when Hope remarked on that. There were no camera on Mount Olympus.
This morning had come too soon for the Singer household. Half of the inhabitants had been up all night - father, son, and daughter, sharing stories and trying to hold back the advance of time toward dawn with will power alone, while mother, aunt and uncle slept, not wishing to disturb what was so clearly needed. Ares returned Ayden to them as morning crept on, and by common consent, they had gathered together for the best breakfast Ellen was able to put together at such short notice. But as morning crept toward afternoon, they couldn't put it off any longer.
Hope stood in the middle of the study, Apollo waiting patiently by the desk, and faced her family with unhappy eyes. "I, uh, I guess this is it, then."
Though Bobby was the eldest and Dean was her father, it was Sam who stepped forward first to say goodbye to his sister. Smiling through a veil of tears, he took her in his arms to give her a gentle hug. They had been over all this before the previous day, and yet, he still felt the need to remind her that she wasn't just leaving them but going home, where she belonged and where - if everything went according to plan - they'd all be waiting. Though it was tucked beneath his shirt, he was wearing the ring Apollo had given her on a chain around his neck, close to his heart, where it would always remain. "Say hello to older me when you get there. Even if you don't remember this, I will, and I'll be wearing your ring as proof," he whispered for her ears alone.
Tearful herself, Hope cuddled into her big brother's embrace, nodding her agreement to his whisper as she squeezed him tight. It was no comfort to know that she wouldn't remember any of this when she was back in her own timestream; she felt the goodbye keenly in this moment. "I love you, Bertie," she whispered back to him, quick to dry her eyes before the tears fell, not wanting to leave him with the sight of her in tears again.
"I love you, too, Hope. Always have, always will," he whispered back, tears shining in his own eyes as he lifted his head from her shoulder to meet her gaze. "You're my best friend," he told her, his voice breaking. "I'll-I'll tell you all about our adventures when you get home, okay?"
"You'd better," she warned him, sniffing to keep herself at least vaguely under control. "I'm totally relying on you to be the easy-going uncle here." She flashed him a grin, gently ruffling her big brother's hair one last time.
It would be weird going back home to find one brother her age and one who was twenty years or so older, more uncle than brother. It would be twenty years or so before the Hope that he knew and loved would be old enough to share his secret and even then, there was no guarantee she'd believe him. At least he'd have his parents, and Bobby and Ellen, to back him up. He wondered what his younger counterpart would think when he found out the truth. Would he be jealous" Was it better to leave well enough alone and not tell her at all" Or maybe he should only tell her and not his younger self. It was all very confusing, but thankfully, he had twenty years or so to figure it all out. He chuckled a little at her remark, even as he swiped at an errant tear. "No guarantees, but I'll try. It'll be hard to fool me. I know all our tricks."
"You taught me all our tricks," she pointed out, backing up a step with a laugh, glad she'd brought a smile onto his face at the last. Her eyes flickered to Bobby and Ellen, and the older woman swept her up in a tight hug, swift and warm, propelling the youngest Winchester in the room into Bobby's arms whether he was happy to hug the girl or not.
Bobby offer a very grandfatherly hug, trying his best to remain stoic failing miserably. "This ain't good-bye, baby girl. We're gonna see each other again real soon. You be good for your mom and dad and have a safe trip home."
"You better be there," Hope told the older generation as sternly as she could manage. "'Cos I gotta learn how to cook somehow, and I'm not good with Latin yet. So there."
Ellen chuckled softly, recognizing their place in this little girl's life, finding it easier to say goodbye in the knowledge that it would only be a few years before they had her back again.
Dean hung back, reluctant to say good-bye. In a way, he was glad he was hanging onto one half of the duo, and he had often wondered over the last few days why he couldn't keep them both. If Sam's theory was right, there would be two Sams in the future. Why not two Hopes" But he had the feeling that might be pushing their luck a little too far. He knew there was one Fate left out there somewhere waiting to exact her revenge, and he didn't want that revenge to be taken out on his children. Sam remained close to Hope, though he had already said good-bye. Of all of them, Dean knew this parting was likely hardest on him, and his thoughts toward his eldest son softened. He wouldn't be like John, he reminded himself. He'd be a real father to his children - all his children.
"Don't you worry. I plan to be," Bobby replied, glancing at Dean and Nim or Jo or whatever name she was going by now. "You better get on with it then."
"Yes, Grampa." For the first time, Hope called Bobby by the name she and Sam had planted on him when they were children, rather than the safer Uncle Bobby she'd been using since they got here. She kissed his cheek, and whirled away to catch Ayden in her grip.
If Dean's sister was surprised by the sheer force of emotion that radiated from Hope as the girl hugged her, she did her best to hide it, knowing now that she had raised this girl through her teens and hoping like hell that future had changed for the better. "All right, squirt, ease off," Ayden murmured, gently setting the girl back from her with a smile. "Won't be so long before you see me again."
Hope nodded, rubbing at her nose as she sniffed once again. "I know," she promised. "Just remember to take a coupla pictures of the wedding this time. Always pissed me off that you didn't."
Ares stood quietly behind Ayden, saying nothing but looking on with a wistful look on his face, perhaps thinking of his own family and missing them, or at least, some of them. "Pictures?" he asked when Hope remarked on that. There were no camera on Mount Olympus.