Gathering Post at the Winchester

[little_moons]

I heard the first crunch before I saw anything. A faint resistance under my boot, a pop and then a give, and my eyes dropped to the floor. I froze there, hand on the doorknob, and now I can’t breathe

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[nevergrowsup]

There wasn't quite snow yet, but Peter had already dug through his things to find his thick wool hat, jacket and boots. He even had gloves stuffed into his pockets- a sure sign that he was talking the drastic weather change seriously.

His bare hands were holding Wednesday the rabbit to his chest as he came into the Winchester with Walt trotting after him a moment later.

"People are going to stay here?" He glanced over at Neil as he walked in but didn't take his hat off. He wasn't staying for long.

[little_moons]

"Think so, maybe," I answer with a shrug, turning to face him on my stool, a smile tugging at my lips at the sight of him all bundled up.

"Looks like you got some big plans. Where you headed?"

[nevergrowsup]

"I'm going to make sure Wednesday is all ready for the cold." Of course she would be, she could handle a little bit of sudden freezing temperatures. But she was a girl- not just any girl but one of his- so he had to look out for her. Wendy was in the home underground, so she would be perfectly alright, but Wednesday would need blankets.

Sisters first, though.

"Are Mack and Flo going to stay in here until it gets nice out again? It's cold at home."

[little_moons]

"Depends on what Mike wants," I say with a shrug, like I've got no say in it, and maybe I don't. "They'll be alright, either place. We'll look after 'em."

Then, scratching at the paint on my soda bottle, I say, "Be careful, okay? It gets too bad, you get inside. Promise?" I can't tell him not to go find Wednesday. If it'd been Wendy, nobody could've stopped me from gettin' to her, that age or any other.

[extra_psychic]

She makes decisions quickly and it took all of five minutes to decide that the Winchester would be her home away from home. A home she didn't have anymore. Today is colder and the air is bitter and rich and she can just tell a storm is coming. The walk is easier today; she makes it down the trail to the wooden sidewalk and past the water before she needs to stop and wait for a passerby to point her in the right direction. The scent of the frying food brings her on in. Before she gets too far inside, something crunches under her foot and she freezes.

"Shit. I hope that wasn't something important," she muses before sitting in the nearest chair.

[m_pinocchio]

Cold. Fucking cold. This isn't December and it doesn't feel normal, though after almost three years here he's not even sure how to fucking quantify 'normal' anymore. Blankets and wind and a lot of bewildered people, and thank God he doesn't have to worry about where the girls are, as he heads into the relative warmth of the Winchester with Mack in his arms and Tom and Flo somewhere behind him. But when he sees what Neil's sweeping up he freezes and forgets about everything else for a few lingering seconds.

There are a few images from a lifetime of experience that he's never going to be able to forget, however much he wants to. And not all of them are even really his.

"Neil," he says quietly, glancing back for Tom, wondering how this is going to be explained, if it's going to be explained at all.

[out_of_realm]

"This looks like it's going to be a bruiser," Tom said, coming up behind Mike with a tired Flo looking grumpy in his arms. "Think we should get some fires - hey, what happened back here?" he said, his mouth quirking, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Winchester serving breakfast now?"

[little_moons]

He knows. I'd hoped it'd all go by unnoticed, but Mike... I take one look at him and I can tell. I duck my head, face suddenly alarmingly hot, and mutter an awkward, "Yeah, guess so," to Tom's question.

What the fuck else am I supposed to say?

[m_pinocchio]

He moves a little closer, trying to step around what's left of the mess, reluctant to put Mack down in case she decides to track some of the crumbs around. He glances back at Tom and then at Neil again, inwardly cursing the fucking movie, the man who did this, everything that seems to be conspiring to keep them all from letting it go.

"You need any help?"

[moraldyslexic]

Lennox didn't mind the cold so much and he'd been through a blizzard or two in his time, but that didn't mean he was going to be stupid about it. There were people gathering at the Winchester and he figured Neil and Mike and Tom might be there, so he bundled up in a sweater, grabbed the dogs and headed that way, knowing they'd be able to keep relatively warm inside.

"C'mon, guys, you gotta be good while you're in here," he murmured to the dogs, closing the door against the snow again.

[m_pinocchio]

"Lennox!" Mike calls as soon as he sees him enter, heading over with Mack in his arms. "How bad is it out there? We're probably gonna try to head out in a few, 'cause I think I'd rather be stuck at the Tree than here." Not that the Winchester isn't well-equipped. But the girls are scared and fussing, and he knows they'd prefer to be in their own beds soon.

[moraldyslexic]

"Pretty bad, man," Lennox answered honestly, brushing his hand over Mack's curls as Mike joined him. "It looks like it's getting worse. Getting colder and there's more snow, but I bet it won't last too long. A couple of days, maybe a week."

Looking at the girls, he frowned a little. "They're not gonna be happy, but it's probably best to stay here overnight."

[m_pinocchio]

He shakes his head. "We'll be okay. We got Tom's ATV and it's not that far. But we'll go sooner than later." He glances back and around at the milling crowd, looking for Tom. Mack has cheered slightly for the moment, reaching out for Lennox and crowing "Wan' up!"

[out_of_realm]

Tom was having a whiskey, straight up, glass held loosely between his fingers as he watched the girls play. They'd have to decide soon if they were staying or going. The storm outside was only going to get worse from here.

"Snow angels?" Flo said hopefully, looking up at Tom through the small circle that the hood on her pink, down stuff jacket allowed her. In spite of...in spite of everything, Tom managed a laugh, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Maybe tomorrow, sweetness," he murmured. "It's still coming down pretty hard, now."

[extra_psychic]

She can hear the little footsteps and the fact that sounds come from below her ears rather than above. Walking, talking, but definitely a kid. The sound comes closer and closer and Pam can sense she's going to be touched. On purpose or accident she's not quite sure.

"Watch out, kiddo," she says, turning her chin in the direction of what she's hearing. She can only hope she's facing the general area of eyes rather than talking to the kid's stomach or something. "I'm sure there's a table to run into that'll hurt more than my leg."

[out_of_realm]

"Sorry," Tom said quickly, darting forward to pick up Flo before she tugged on the woman's clothes. "She's at that age where she thinks she's the only one in the world."

It took him a few moments to figure out that the sunglasses weren't cosmetics, something in the way she held herself tipping him off.

"I'm, uh, I'm Tom Hobbes," he explained, "And this is Flo. I don't think we've met?"

[extra_psychic]

"Pam. Pamela Barnes," she replies as she tilts her chin higher to face the new voice. "I've only been here a couple days. It's good to meet you, Tom. And Flo. It sounds like it's filling up here, huh? I don't suppose you see Ellen or Bobby? I haven't heard either of them." In a place so much like the Roadhouse, it didn't occur to her to think to use last names. Everyone knew Ellen and Bobby.